I know deep in my head somewhere there is still a poem or two.
I went to grad school for poetry. I wrote some above-average poems while I was there. I thought once I got older and experienced more things, as Rilke advised, I would maybe write one or two great ones.
As it turns out, my life experiences seem to have buried the poems under layers of fat or callouses or drivel or reality tv shows or something.
I bought a copy of the Writer’s Market. Since I’ve been writing the book and enjoying the work. I think maybe I could write other things and maybe even get them published. It isn’t unheard of. When I was in grad school, I made myself feel like I had tried to become a published poet. I really only sent poems out about ten times. That’s not saying much. My proudest moment was when I received an actual hand-written rejection letter.
Spring makes the poems rise a little more to the surface. Almost to a place where I can hear them. I realize that the way poems used to come to me was usually from wandering around alone. Now? Now I never wander around alone. Pushing a stroller is not alone. No. Nope. Not even.
I guess I could wait and see if one comes.
Or I could dig in.
3 Comments
May 19, 2009 at May 19, 2009
I am going to have to find and send you this great quotation (I refuse to paraphrase) by Toni Morrison about being an artist and being a mom.
Stay tuned my friend. A bit of solitude is due you.
xxoD
May 20, 2009 at May 20, 2009
Poetry has escaped me too for the last many years now, and I used to be pretty good back in my grad school days full of poetry workshops. I miss it too, and I think a certain amount of solitude does help, but I think I’ve just gotten lazy. A photograph is easier than a poem for me these days, and prose comes far more naturally. Do you ever wonder what your poetry would look like now? Hmm…perhaps an IVP writers’ group is something that ought to be discussed (note my intentional use of the passive voice).
May 22, 2009 at May 22, 2009
Oooh. IVP writer’s group….