Hard cover
provides
sturdy base
Spiral binding
opens 360 degrees
Your pages never
come loose.
Toothy paper
slows down
hand that moves
too fast
Unlined pages
catch writing
sketches
lists
in all directions
I turn you
this way
and that
write sideways
and upside down.
Sometimes,
I consider
trying
something new:
Different binding
different color
different paper
different pattern
But then
I think of
the uniformity of
spiral spines
earthy colors:
spring green
sea blue
pumpkin orange
tree bark brown
Lined up
neatly
on the shelf
And
I decide
to stay with
what works.
Notes: This poem was inspired by Trina Haase’s Ode to My Notebook. I originally wrote a much longer piece that was also about what’s inside my notebook. But in the end, I liked the part that appreciated the outside the best.
the dirigible plum 
19 responses to “Ode to a Writer’s Notebook: Slice of Life #sol18 #NaPoWriMo18 #NPM2018”
Ah! The writer’s notebook. I love the “toothy paper” and the ending – stay with what works.
I feel like I officially committed to sticking to what works by recently buying a year’s supply of notebooks to stash and use! Not that I don’t buy other kinds of notebooks too. But my Cachet by Daler Rowney books are just it as far as writer’s notebooks are concerned.
What a delight to recognize the familiar, a little dressed up but not overdone; charming in just the right lighting. Thank you for these tight descriptions.
I felt I appreciated its beauty so much more having written a poem about it!
Every writer’s grind getting the recognition it deserves. Let’s hear it for the notebook.
Hear hear!
Love this! Definitely stay with what works! Love the earthy color descriptions!
It lets you exercise some small choice: do I feel like pumpkin or blue for this notebook??
I also love your word choice- “toothy paper” and “spiral spines”… you are inspiring me to commit to a notebook style.
They look so nice all lined up on a shelf when they’re filled!
Wonderful descriptions! I’m newish to the whole writer’s notebook thing, so am still learning what makes me happy. At the moment it’s spiral bound, unlined, super smooth and the an InkJoy Gel Writer medium nib in black!
Always unlined paper for me too. I’m also super picky about my pen and will only write with one, so I totally get the commitment to the InkJoy Gel Writer!
When something works, why not take advantage of it? There are some things I love so much I just want to own several of them: that comfy shirt, those erasable pens, my Passion Planner. I’ve slowly moved away from my notebook with all the digital writing I do. Even my drafts and collections of ideas tend to be in Google Keep, Voice Recorder, or Notes. I sometimes miss my notebook. I still write in it occasionally, but not nearly as I once did. Glad you found the perfect container for your writing.
Lovely tribute to your notebook. The big benefit from writing a poem a day is I’m doing better w/ the notebook keeping, but I’m still putting notes in my phone, too.
“I turn you
this way
and that
write sideways
and upside down.”
Love these lines – I’m always amazed at folks that share notebook pages. Mine are much too messy to publish.
Folks WHO share
I love a good notebook… and I especially love those hard bound ones! I just found three while cleaning up my office area in my house. Nothing better. I love the ode as a poem and your use of line breaks.
I couldn’t love this poem more! And THANK you again for the shout out! Love this part, “toothy paper slows down hands…” EXACTLY
[…] like to write about my notebooks. In fact, they’re a reliable source of inspiration whenever I’m stuck and can’t […]