Poem in progress...

The assignment: write a two-part poem. Part one should detail a certain experience, and part two should present the same happenings from a different vantage point, outside of the immediate experience.

I also volunteered to go first for workshopping, so this may or may not also be the poem that is workshopped in detail by the class. Right now it is not what it should be, but closer to being right than it was before. Also, it does not have a title.

***

two

The moment that changes everything
isn't a kiss. You shared one of those years ago, but somehow
you ignored it. When they asked, you lied
and said he was just a friend.

But here in the silence, a simple gesture--the lean of two foreheads together--
means forever.
It's not flashy--forever appears to be a pretty low-budget affair--
but you don't care. From the way things just lit up, it's a good bet
you don't even notice.

one

I don't want to see the words that pass
between you, unspoken, no less potent for their silence. I don't belong
in this scene--this simple intimacy more private than sex,
more powerful. But I watch
before turning away, and I know
he's changed your world,
become it.

No one is my world. The warmth I feel against my back
is overflow from you--not my own, this leftover creeps
like the scent of cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning,
or the subtle heat of sunrise,
still a long way off.

***

I love the sparseness of two, and I want something like it in one, which is currently lacking. I feel there ought to be a different voice to one because the speaker will necessarily address the overseen figures differently than she addresses herself, but at the same time I think the divergence between the tones of the two parts is too wide at this moment. So that's one of the things I'm working on.

A special underwear-centric post for Katherine Fosso

No strange looks, please, it's just a survey. A highly amusing and potentially scandalous survey (are you scandalized yet?). This survey is the original creation of gienahclarette and is being used at her express invitation.

I would love to write this about Noelle, the character whose story I'm in the middle of right now, but my knowledge of undergarments in late-18th century France isn't quite up to snuff, and modern underwear seems more fun anyway. Maybe sometime later I'll go back and figure out what Noelle's underwear would realistically look like, but for now I'm going to answer these survey questions from the point of view of Holly Carmichael, the 14-year-old co-protagonist of my Planned Fantasy Trilogy (TM).

Part 1: The Basics

What does your character’s underwear look like?
Probably pretty plain or ordinary. Holly is most definitely not the sort of girl who thinks that pretty underwear is necessary. No, she buys for comfort and for fit. I'm thinking traditional cotton panties and simple underwire bras (I think this is the first time I have ever consciously wondered about the bra size of one of my fictional characters...she's probably around a 34B in case you were curious). Function over form would be her motto.

Is there any lace/print/embroidery/decoration?
Most likely not. Again, she's slightly conservative when it comes to things like this. Plus, she's fourteen, an age at which no one but you, your mother, and the girls in the PE locker room should see your underwear. However, I have this strong image of her owning those "days of the week" panties as a small girl and being frustrated that her mother didn't have the correct days washed in time for her to wear them. She would certainly refuse to wear the wrong day, because what was the point of wearing them if they weren't going to be accurate? As for bras, she'd probably complain that lace itches and no one's going to see it, anyway, so what's the point of it being pretty?

What color(s)?
She has those mixed-color underwear, but all in respectable/conservative shades, like white/light gray/dark gray. Basically monochromatic panties. As for bras, probably mostly white, with a nicer black one for fancy black shirts and maybe--maybe--a skin-colored one (if she owns it, she never really wears it).

Does it serve any special function, ie: flannel long-johns for the winter?
Holly is possibly athletic enough that she owns a sports bra or two...in fact I imagine she plays/played soccer (because no other sports are that awesome). Also she might be a runner, but short-distance only. Also, though technically this is hosiery rather than lingerie, she probably has a few pairs of tights/leggings to wear under skirts, on the rare occasions when she is forced to wear skirts. Not really the girlish one, our Holly (though that doesn't mean she's not pretty--she's just not sure she wants anyone else to know that).

Part 2: Getting a Little Creeper

Where does your character get this underwear from?
The most venerable lingerie department at Mervyn's. Like I said, she really doesn't care too much.

Does your character have a favorite in their underwear drawer (if they have more than one set)? If so, then why?
I'm not sure Holly ever really thinks about her underwear. Hell, I'm not sure I ever think about my underwear. Favorites? We're just glad to be clothed.

Are there any situations where they would go commando?
Heh, that would be a no. Unless, of course, it was absolutely necessary. But I find it hard to imagine a situation in which sensible, plan-ahead Holly would not have underwear about her.

How many people, aside from your character, see your character’s underwear on a regular basis?
Her mother, when doing laundry; her younger sister, when barging into Holly's room unannounced; the girls in her row in the PE locker room.

Describe your character’s underwear shopping process (if any).
Her underwear comes in little plastic packages: she knows her size and her mom just buys her more when her old ones get worn out. She wishes that bra shopping would be that easy, and there's nothing she hates quite as much as finding new bras when her old ones are starting to show some wear and tear.

Part 3: MOAR

Does your character have any underwear prejudices?
-Against certain types of underwear in general?
-Against people who wear a certain type?
-Anything else, really. D=
Holly's motto is comfort over style, so she doesn't understand girls who wear completely nonfunctional underwear. Likewise, she does not get the point of "sexy" panties/bras and thinks that the girl next to her in the PE locker room who's always got on these skimpy lacy things is totally absurd--again, what is the point of such garments? (A note here--someday in the future, I am sure Holly will discover the point of such garments for herself. But at the moment--fourteen! High school freshman! Still innocent!)

How does your character organize their undergarments?
Probably organizes everything by color, in a drawer, with lightest colors on top and darkest on the bottom.

Who is their underwear soul-twin? In your own universe, or in another?
Ehrm...well..*cough*probablymeactually*cough*...

Is your character embarrassed by something as scandalous (SCANDALOUS) as undergarment discussion?
Depends on the line the discussion takes. If it's "oh won't my boyfriend like *this* new underwear?" discussion then she's probably embarrassed, because she wouldn't actually know what to say to such a comment. But if for some reason a person she knew asked her what kind of underwear she wore in a non-creeper sort of way she'd probably answer honestly and make some flippant remarks about how she believes in sensible, functional undergarments and lace is for idiots.


Part 4: The Fun Part

Here’s some underwear-centric ideas for blurbs or doodles that might be fun to try. You must do at least one. Do it now! You draw-types know you want to draw your characters in heroic poses in nothing but their skivvies.

1. Your character passes by the store window, and notices that the store is a purveyor of fine skivvies. For some reason or another, they decide to go ahead and give it a look. Inside, they spot some underwear that they would never have considered wearing before. Are they tempted to try it on?

( Satan's Panties )

2. Due to unforeseen and bizarre machinations, two (or more) of your characters are stuck together in nothing but their unmentionables (and perhaps a towel) in a rather sticky (and perhaps dangerous) situation. What happens?

( VERY bizarre machinations indeed. )

3. Somehow your character has gotten their laundry mixed up with someone else’s (perhaps even someone they know). What is their reaction? How do they go about returning said items?