For a man who values balance in things (once to the obsessive detriment of his own sanity), I found maintaining a modicum of it in my creative life most difficult.

It was something like trying to stay upright while perched, ankles bound with chains, upon a bowling ball, while juggling flaming chain saws, humming a Beethoven sonata into a kazoo and simultaneously remembering the Alamo, the Maine and my first kiss…while blindfolded. Yep, for me, Joe Hesch, your barkeeper for tonight’s Open Link Night, it’s a hard thing to do, even these days.

In my silly way, that’s why I have such a love of September, my birth month and month of balance. When next we meet at the Pub to share our words and some virtual libation, we will have joined with the Sun in stepping over the Equator into that season of balance—Autumn. That magic moment of Equinox, to me, is a natural reminder of the lesson of balance in the Universe.

The fact that it comes each year, yet never at exactly the same time or day, in essence in the Universal neighborhood, gives me a good feeling about the silliness of my old too-human need for absolute perfection. You must learn to be flexible to maintain your balance, never staying still in one shape or place, because rigidity in a Universe, a life, full of change, is a sure way to …well fall off your bowling ball.

I was that way about writing every day or not writing unless I had set aside a period from my “real” life and then each word had to ring perfectly as it hit the page. Now I understand if I don’t adhere to those stupid rules the world will not tilt off its axis, or one of those chain saws is not going to soar into the audience of Joe-sounding editors. Though I could do with a few less of them.

Heck, I’ve learn to drop all those darn smoking things, spit out that kazoo, and remember only that Alamo rents cars and Maine is a moosey state way up there in the upper right corner of my old rental car map. And, if I can’t recall with absolute certainty if it was Rose Lapatina or Barbara Occhialino who served up my first batch of lips for tasting, that’s fine too. I’m sure that first-draft smooch wasn’t perfect either, but I revised and refined things since then to maybe balance them out.

How do you poets keep your balance as creative person? If you feel like sharing the tricks in your act (no power tools, please), leave me a note in the comments after you link up the first fruit of your autumn harvest of verse.

Here’s how:

• Link your OLN poem – one per blog, please – by clicking on the Mr. Linky button just below and cutting and pasting in your link.
• Don’t forget to let your poem’s readers know where you’re linking up and encourage them to participate by including a link to dVerse in your blog post.
• Visit as many other poems as you like, commenting as you see fit. This is where you get to express yourself about this poet’s work.
• Spread the word. Feel free to tweet and share on the social media of your choice.