Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer

Forest and the Trees

This morning I see the count.

There are 11 posts here in the Archives related to The Bohemian. And it appears as though this morning will mark a twelfth.

Friends who subscribe to my daily posts see me on the street and smile. “Been reading the Archives…” they say with that tone that lifts and trails into all things hopeful, hearts and roses.

Oh, God.

One girlfriend gives her assessment plainly when I see her in line at the bank. “You’re so in love.”

I squirm beneath fluorescent lights and such a defining statement. Lose all eloquence and grip my deposit slip. Stammer something vague about how I’m just having an experience, staying in the moment, “who knows…”, et al.

She looks at me squarely and says, “Call it what you will. I read the Archives.”

Mmmm. The wordsmith in me tries to summarize something even I don’t understand. Language falls short. “Ok,” I smile, “you can say I’m smitten.”

Her eyes twinkle. “Smitten is a good word. Alright then. Whatever it is, I’m happy for you.”

Is this part of the artist’s experience when they share their work? The inner, private realms so vulnerably revealed?

One Archive reader says, “Everyone loves a good love story.”

Is that what’s being crafted here? Do readers see the forest of my trees? Or are they simply finding their own stories in the words that I present?

I’m never going to tell you everything. But I’m compelled to tell you more than what is comfortable, at times. Show you more than what the Censor thinks I should. And with that comes a risk of baring some things tender. Places even I don’t understand.

I’ve often said I’m following a thread. Showing up to the WordPress screen and chronicling the everyday. For these 11 Bohemian posts, I’ve guessed the words were breadcrumbs. Some way to insure my safety if Love lured me into uncharted territory.

I’d say I’m officially bushwhacking now (he even loaned me the machete). At this point, my feeble attempts at marking the place from which I’ve come may just be gestures offering a false sense of security.

Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved

I’m not sure I want to back track anyway.

What’s the worst that could happen? I could find myself in foreign land, alone.

But even there, I could map the new place with words. Keep feeling. Sharing. Trust the unknown.

And if I am trying to orient myself on this trailblazing adventure, I’ll take note of my surroundings.

Where am I now? Well, it appears as though 11 posts are enough to officially give The Bohemian his own Archive Category and Tag, making this thread even easier to follow. I notice this comes about the same time that I’ve given him one half of a drawer at my house, inside of which are kept two sarongs, a t-shirt, battery tester and sketchbook.

If we want to play with metaphors, we can say I have a compass in my back pocket. But lately I’ve been wanting to see how far I can get by using my own sense of direction.

These words are my scattered breadcrumbs. I’m walking further in…

Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer · 3 Comments

A Thousand Words

I’m notified that the final manuscript has been compiled and “unfortunately, the committee did not select your submission.”

I’ve written about this submission process before. The experience of offering up my writing for publication outside these Archive realms. How I can turn “rejection letters” into confirmations that I’m on the writer’s path. These “best of luck” responses are merely markers on the trail that prove I am writing…and submitting.

So this most recent “thank you, but no thank you” communication arrives yesterday. But there’s a twist in this submission plot. A slight re-write of the script.

They want my photos. All of what I sent.

Not only was this anthology seeking writing, they were also asking for photographs. After combing through every comma of my written pieces, I casually changed color photos to black and white to fit their format. Gave them each a simple name and attached them to my emailed submission. They were like the garnish on the plate of the entrée. A side note.

I guess they liked them. Or with all of these writers sending in their words, they were short on images and needed anything they could get. It really doesn’t matter why. I’m honored to be included in this publication, in whatever medium my artistic expression is received.

So the storyline has shifted. Submission accepted. This is new. And curious, as the pieces received were not quite what I had envisioned. Whoever is writing this script, I like the surprise tactic. An intriguing plot. You might say they’ve got me.

As I’ve been contemplating the measure of words – how much, how little – this small nod to the power of the photo gets my attention.

Perhaps I’ll stop the alphabet here. You know what they say a picture’s worth.

Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved
Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved
Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved
Jessica Dofflemyer ~ all rights reserved