Happy/Sad

"Wow. That is so sad." That's the comment I often get when I share my nonfiction and poetry. I really have no response to that.* Stories and poems of my life stem from re-imagined memories, cultivated in a childhood which could be called sad. A current piece is A Memory of Bees. When I write, I return to the moments and details, seeing what is. It no longer matters whether this memory is "sad" or "happy" or has been slapped with any such label. To me, the vision is rich and full, even when painful or disturbing. In your writing, try creating or recreating an experience without describing it as happy or sad. Paint the bee along with the stinger. Write the so-called cheerful details along with the melancholy ones. Let the images speak for themselves. It's okay if others don't know what to say about it. *Thank you Meg Ryan, in Joe vs. the Volcano, for this line.