NaPoWriMo - April 16th and 17th

April 16th

Prompt - about play or sports

“A game is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles” - Bernard Suits

The rules of life are complicated,

there are no maps or walkthroughs

no power-ups or cheat codes

It’s no surprise then,

that we invented these

rule-based games

to distract ourselves from

the abyss of chaos

that is the game of life.

Perhaps we needed to

show ourselves that we

can win despite the odds –

that game point doesn’t

always mean you’ve lost.

April 17th

Prompt - family anecdote

I’m terrible at anecdotes.

my mind is a toxic wasteland

full of gaping holes.

The doctor said, “Trauma does

that to the mind.”

Pictures are helpful.

They help you remember

what your brain forgot.

In this one, I’m two years old,

dressed like a little Communist

in a hooded red winter coat,

while on a family trip to the Taj Mahal.

My siblings clap and dance around

while my parents try to get me to eat

a bite of some baby food.

I’ve forgotten the good times

And my mind has repressed the rest.

What is a human being but the

sum total of all her memories?