I like working my classes around themes even though I cringe at constantly looking for the theme (meaning) of a poem, story etc. The theme of this week, for me, seems to be The Quest.
I’m borrowing the picture for today’s post from one I took at a UNCC Writing Project meeting from last month. You can read more about that meeting at a guest blog I did for the Writing Project.
On – speaking of guest blog kind of things – in case I forgot to mention it I was interviewed over at CL Bledsoe’s blog. And, while we are sharing, I do have a few poems up in the current issue of Wilderness House Literary Review. Each of these poems has a role in what I hope will be my second full length collection, tentatively titled, What if We Could Morph?
In my interview with Cort, he asked me about ongoing projects and it almost feels painful for me to discuss ongoing projects right now because I feel stuck. I’m one of thsoe who loves to start and finish things, but I sometimes ZOOM through the middle part – the journey part – the quest – the now. Because, right now, I can’t seem to hear my own poetry. I know these moments come, but there is part of me that worries just a bit (interestingly enough Robert Lee Brewer was kind of talking about this this week too!) about whether or not I have any more poems in me – or at least ones I like.
For example, here is a poem I am working on in the Tiger project I mention in my interview. I’m really not sure it is a keeper, but I’m here to show you all sides of what is going on in the writing life so here it is.
Goodbye poem – back to the revision pile 
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As I’m pondering all of this and wondering if I am at a wall in my writing journey I also found myself watching the movie Chasing Amy this week. I know, I’m like 10 years (or 15) late watching most of the Kevin Smith movies. I think I saw Dogma first on Comedy Central before I ever went back to watch his New Jersey films (and I saw Mall Rats first. I love the mall so I even blogged about that once). At the time when they came out I was just getting out of college and into my first career life. I was at an in between place similiar to a lot of his characters, but I wasn’t ready to see it yet. (Note – for thsoe who don’t know – lots of language and sexual discussion in CA if you aren’t into that kind of thing).
So what am I getting at? I wonder if I am, in a sense, chasing the amy poems I wrote over the last few years? In a previous poem share I mentioned watching a documentary about Kevin Smith where he talks about having success and whether or not that means he can no longer write the movies of his 20′s because that isn’t who he is anymore. What if I’m not a person who can produce the narrative poems I love so well anymore?
I try to remind myself that it is the task of trying that matters so much; that the quest sometimes is all there is . . .
Time for comments, your poems etc. Let’s chat
PS Almost forgot: a poem from my Poetry app that I enjoyed
I really enjoyed “Lamb”! Great concept that was fun to read and the message was subtle. The 2nd stanza was especially enjoyable
And I almost always feel like I may not have another poem in me…until I write another poem lol. When I entered an MFA I thought maybe the poems that got me in were all I had to give, but a thesis/manuscript later and I see I was wrong. The only solution is to keep writing. That’s always the solution for us writers it seems. And I read your interview and the projects you’re working on sound really interesting!
Thanks, JT! I’m having a real problem getting “out” of poems lately. I need to read some poems I love to get back in the groove so to speak. Are you almost done with the MFA now?
You may not be exactly famous, in my world you’re pretty close, but you evolve on a regular basis, about four times a year
I often am afraid I will have to grow accustomed to the change faster in my life when someone does change before me, because we do it better in our twenties and thirties. Okay this turned into a complaint LOL and Billy Joel is singing ‘Don’t go changing…I like you just the way you are…’, and I am a realist.
That poem has a home when you feel it’s ready.
I do hope I don’t get to a point where I hate change. There are times when I find myself avoiding it: like using Microsoft word for a presentation versus bothering with power point, but at least I acknowledge those moments and try to find something in them
So I was playing with an idea within an idea…it’s really ‘A Chef Buys Boxed Wine’ LOL
–and the prose is gone!
I’m intrigued. Seems like a story to be fleshed out
So much to all of this post, Jessie. You may not post as often, but when you do, I have a lot to consider! So I read the interview and as always, am amazed by your projects . . .that you have projects.
Once again, amazed by you and how you write and what you write about.
Loved Lamb, that was just wonderfully started and developed and ended.
Jessie, would it be bad if you didn’t write the same things you have always loved and written, those narrative poems? If this is just becoming a time for you to begin writing something else?
I loved Jonterri’s comment and Elizabeth’s too! And Elizabeth . . .cool idea you have going on there! You inspire me to keep writing even when my brain says “I’m done.”
I went back to a failed poem, one that I liked the idea of though and am trying to do something with the idea in three short poems or haiku’s. But, it’s not done yet. haha!
So I’ll post this untitled one.
–bye poem!
Such an intriguing picture you paint. Not sure about the word smoldering. Do you read Kay Ryan? I think you’d like her style.
I don’t mind writing new things but worry I CAN’T write anything good in the new styles. Hmm. But we keep trying!
Thank you for catching that smoldering combined with flames. ! haha! I haven’t read Kay Ryan, so thank you for sharing her with me.
I’ve been thinking about you. . .thinking maybe new narrative poems are being born but it might just take a little while for you to write them.
I have a review coming up soon of the portable mfa book. It didn’t inspire any new poems
I haven’t made it through my copy yet. Bad me! Darn about no poems being inspired . . .
I, too, like Mary and the lamb.
I’ve been revising and combining poems this week. (Busy week.) I was going to post a different poem, but the formatting was awful. So here’s this one. I think you saw part of this before, Jessie. A couple of friends told me to cut unnecessary words (not sure if I’m there yet).
–back to those edits
Oh I love the mystery in this! The second stanza is my favorite with its specificity especially the balloon sized graffitti. If you are stl revising I’d look to pull the more common words like dark to describe woods.
You guys are giving me hope that I can keep the little lamb poem. Wish I could put something else together this weekend. Each draft I try is pretty much doa
Thanks, Jessie. Here’s what I did in the first stanza.
–and those extra bits are gone
Yes, I like where you are going with that stanza. Sets up the mystery
I was just working on a poemish kind of thing that perhaps I can also share – much later! Lol!
Jessie, I’m still tweaking this poem. I show it to you later – maybe, much later.
Helen, I like how this starts out one place and takes us somewhere else.
You are good at that! And the “whistling through twilight’s chill” . . .I like that!
Jessie: that’s fun…in the topical, going overboard gives you more hooks
in the future…don’t forget those dang tweets!
Chef: Fleshing out ahead…yes, agree with Jessie. To the extent that if it
runs long, just make 2 or 3 poems of it. There’s so much at the surface.
Debbie: some really cool soundings. The top strophe is a bit dilute compared
to the rest. A possible pruning:
–suggestions pulled
That might scalp the lawn, but if you add back you will
probably see neat opportunites to play scene and sound
like rhetoric “…to touch, to brush..” or “..reaches..” etc..
The meaning stays fleshed out in you mind, so you can
prune and grow back. Your following lines are super…the mind has
done its work already!
Helen: Wow, great drama and sharp sound. Yeah, probably needs
noodling, but it’s ‘alive’ already.
Can’t remember if I showed this scene before..
it came up in last week’s edit sweep:
–munster poem is outta here!
Jim, I appreciate your ideas so much. Thank you!
And you shared another food poem with us! yay! And I loved it, I love how you hold the suspense of the ending all through the poem. I’m not saying what I feel right, but your poems have a very special “Jim” thing going on!
It’s strange, Debbie…I usually don’t mean to hold the conclusion
until the end, but the epiphany pops up to me as I write. That is,
I actually discover something when I write some poems…
I’m one of those “poems are engines of thought” believers, even
though I bundle sounding in. All that said, I have to avoid editorializing
at the end…leave the last half-thought to the reader: Empathy and gifts
can be our anti-depressant. That’s a secret theme.
I like that ‘engine of thought’…agree with Debbie, you have this Jim K. style I like! Love this poem.
Debbie, I like yours as well, takes you on a ride then up into the canopy waiting for that first leaf to twitter down…
I always love Helen’s poetry. Now I want a mulled drink, a blanket and wait for the story to unfold!
This is such a light but engaging poem. I love how you are able to do that. I could almost see a sequel with “Monster Smile” or is that just me getting into the Halloween spirit? I also really want a grilled cheese right now, or maybe to write about one because I could make pretty mean grilled cheese . . . well, not mean as in monster mean, but mean tasty
The secret with munster cheese (not monster..oops)
is that it stretches out a mile when it melts.
Jodi’s mom caught the amazement..
I did that once with my kids…it’s one of those little thrills.
Jessie, I did a book-drill / annealing thing to try to make post-mod type poetry for a while,
and while it didn’t yield that to my satisfaction, it made me generate new catch-phrases and
metaphors, and it triggered a lot of little memories (like the munster) I couldn’t get to before.
I can elaborate on it… it’s not all random words…one has the freedom to pick any word
withing an inch of the push-pin, and you “anneal” it with rewrites. It can suddenly make
coherent poems or harping on forgotten things…
Hmmm that is a really interesting idea. Let me know if you are ever interested in creating a guest blog about that!
The author makes a huge difference. Their vocab, of course,
but there are these interesting page-sychronicities.
I’ll do a piercing quality test on some cut-outs.
Basically, try composing something using only line-1
through line-3, a word each (so as not to puncture unsold books)..
If I find a really “electric” source I’ll send word.
Considering an abecedary tonight as well
aha…the monster..intentional…
oops, my bad.. yes: good for halloween
I sent a push-pin plus choice example…
It came out like Dickens, but it’s fun.
I see it!
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