Walkman

Is this me hitting PAUSE?  Or me hitting STOP?  

Stop rewinding
to the past
And fast forwarding
to the future
is futile

So just PRESS PLAY
PLAY
PLAY THE PRESENT
PLAY & RECORD
because

Everything in this life
Is the difference between
pause vs. stop.

"In Vino Veritas"

Writing Prompt: Write an entire poem the way Tyler Knott Gregson www.tylerknott.com writes them, (even if poetry isn't your usual style, push yourself outside the box) in which you are not allowed to edit a single line once it's down.  No changing words, no revising the order, nothing.  Create snapshots of moments instead of perfectly edited poetic masterpieces.

WWTKGD - Write a poem like Tyler?! Ha. Here's my attempt. PS Usually, when I write, I have some, um liquid courage, in the form of glass(es) of wine. Ironically, tonight, I wrote this and was drinking only water.

"In Vino Veritas"

You are a rare vintage

Vine-ripened to savor

The sweet flavor

Of love's swirl on my palate

You are of full body

And strong finish

And your thick legs

Prove you are potent

You are a slow sip

And no one would dare

Spit you out

And so I swallow you

Intoxicated

Inebriated

"In vino veritas"

-tess gamboa

Black Out Poetry

Writing Prompt:   Grab the nearest "broken book" to you, a new Sharpie or pen of your choice, and make new poetry out of ONLY the words on the page.  Black out the other words you don't use or choose.  By removing the pressure of having every word in the English language at your disposal, it frees your mind up to create without the burden of such choice. Start with 1 page, then try to write 5. 

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
page 149 

(This exercise was definitely WAY harder than I thought.  Also, this book is sacred to me with my own notes in it -- haha -- so I just color copied the page and blacked out that way…)

"I exhale … surrounded by grace.
…You just got a taste of love.
…But a true soul mate is a mirror … that you needed to …
…show you your obstacles and addictions, …light could make you so desperate … but now it's over. … accept … the dump, baby -"

#writeyourselfalive #writeordie #30daysofwriting

My first month as a stay-at-home Mom.  With Andrew working 15-20 hour days and nights.  I decide to sign up for an online creative writing course with two brilliant poets/authors/artists I became familiar with via social media.  It is more than writing, it is therapy.  I am writing again.  And it feels like breathing.  It feels like home.  And it is beefing up this often defunct and gun-shy blog.  Bang bang bitches.  I'm fired up and firing out one entry after another.  Here are a couple of intros I had to write for the course.  It was hard to sum it all up in something so short but HI.  MY NAME'S TESS.  AND I'M A WRITER.

"Hi, I’m Tess, I’ve been writing since I was 7 years old on my parents’ old typewriters. Writing is my heart and soul and passion but I’ve also always been afraid to fail at what has always been my dream. I’ve kept it such a secret from so many and am so reluctant to share it. As such, I haven’t committed a discipline or practice to nurture my writing; I often put it all on pause and regret never expressing myself in the way I love the most. Instead, I’ve let life in general and a crazy non-stop television production job that is 24/7 WORK WORK WORK consume me, and now on top of it all, I am beyond busy with my first child, a beautiful baby girl. I’m sick of the excuses and don’t want any more time to pass without writing in my life. Thank you for creating this opportunity of cultivating creativity. Quite simply, thank you for creating. I’m so ready to write myself alive. Without writing, I really feel like I haven’t been living at all. Looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you."

BIOGRAPHY:

Tess Gamboa is an Executive Producer of non-scripted/reality television.  She has enjoyed professional and personal adventures for nearly 20 years, on-camera and off-camera, on-location, on the road, traveling the world and producing for such networks as Bravo, Lifetime, ABC, E!, VH1, MTV and FOX.  Tess has recently premiered her greatest production yet:  a brand new baby girl!  She lives with her husband Andrew, her daughter Elyse and her two dogs Sequoia and Jack Hammer in Los Angeles, California.  This year, Tess feels blessed that her two lifelong dreams have come true: to be a mother … and a writer. 

Stranger Danger

poetry seems to be flowing tonight.  #writeordie

Last Words.

Writing Prompt: If you only had one week left to live, what is the last story/poem/letter or reflection you would write?  What would you put on your last page?  What are the most pressing words you would want to leave behind? 


Last Words.

This is my last foray

Into my past transgressions
And the first time there won't be a future to look forward to

God made the world in 7 days
And in 7 days,
my world, my existence,
my life will be over. 

And on the 7th Day - REST. 

Final words flip-flop
Between two extremes:
Happily Epitaph-ter
Or oBITCHuary

To my mother, I became you
To my daughter, don't become me
To my husband, I tried
And I'm sorry and I never deserved you and this life you gave us. 

To the rest of my family and friends,
I know I always made it all about me. But I need you to know now it was always about all of you.

I should have worked less and played more. 

I should have talked less and listened more. 

I should have focused on quality and not quantity. 

My ears echo Rent's refrain,
"no day but today"
But I fear we lived
Too many maybe tomorrows
In this life we Owned. 

So when I am gone
Live for me. 

"Live. Laugh. Love."
Rise above it all

And meet me,
In the "rainbow in the clouds,"
In the twilight of time,
In the semi-darkness of pre-dawn,
In the magic hour of a brilliant sunset.

And know that "still I rise" in all of you. 

-Tess Gamboa

FOR SETH … 21 YEAR FRIENDSHIP

1994-present.  You are a gift.