A Thought Regarding Pride

The Cold Within

Six humans trapped by happenstance…In dark and bitter cold
Each possessed a stick of wood, Or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs, but the first one held his back,
For of the faces around the fire, he noticed one was black.
The next one looked cross the way and saw one not of his church,
And could not bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes, he gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought of wealth he had in store,
And keeping all that he had earned from the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from his sight,
For he saw in his stick of wood a chance to spite the white.
And the last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain,
Giving just to those who gave was how he played the game,
Their sticks held tight in death's stilled hands was proof enough of sin;
They did not die from the cold without. They died from the cold within.

--James Patrick Kinney

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Introduction

I have a fetish with quotes. In fact, I fill my everyday conversation with whatever maxims I can pull from memory and most of my writing centers around one type of aphorism or another. With that as my introduction, let me explain my motives for starting this blog and what purpose I hope it will serve—and why not start with a quote? Ernest Hemingway declares, "There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges." I believe writing is hard and it’s painful, but it’s also cathartic. I enjoy writing and it serves as an emotional outlet for the many thoughts swirling in my head. I’m hoping if I weave these numerous thoughts into systematic sentences and paragraphs I’ll reach some level of clarity and understanding.
This blog is not geared towards anything specific, nor is it written with any purpose in mind. It is my simple desire to write whatever observations I might have as well as experiment with the power of writing. It will also be an exploration of form and the various methods of syntax and diction—all with the intention of writing with a clear, fluid, and readable tone. It is not my objective to write an electronic journal with the mindless rants about my life and the latest drama I encounter, but at a certain point life IS the latest drama and its inevitable emotions caused by friends, family, or lovers; an occasional dialogue on the subject will be required. However, in the end, as cliché as it may sound, I will write for writing’s sake, for as E.L Doctrow says, “Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”