Last weekend I wrote two poems, "Lamp," and "A prayer for focus." I have posted the first, but not the second. I probably will not post the prayer. I guess I like it as, but I fear it is a bit too cliched for publication, except maybe in a religious magazine. Also, it came directly from a quiet time, and so I'm not sure of its literary value. It may be just fine, but I need more distance to get perspective.

Also last weekend, I did not take any school work home. Mostly read. I think I came back from the weekend a bit more refreshed and ready to tackle my students' papers. I'm sure most of them would like to get work back faster, but I want to do a good job reading and responding to them.

I read a Lawerence Block novel, A Dance At The Slaughterhouse, one from his Scudder series. I had read Eight Million Ways To Die a couple days before. Both are very brutal. When I finished Slaughterhouse, I walked around and had to start a new book right away. The book was fine, but its brutality was so great, I didn't want to leave it with me long. Started Tanner On Ice, my first reading from that series. Of course now it is the middle of the week, when reading goes a bit more slowly.

Got my C-PAP machine a couple days ago and already it seems to have had an effect on my reading. I can't see through the dang thing and so reading in bed is nearly impossible. I do think it will help my reading in the long run because I will be more alert and awake. That much I can feel already. Hopefully this will also go a long way into improving me as a writer. Too often I am unable to write or focus clearly because of fatigue. I hope I can look back a year from now and see that my output is greater and better, not only because I can write more, but because I can better concentrate and judge what I do write. This is necessary if I am to revise well at all.