Welcome to exam week! What can you re-examine? My composition classes have had to read from their portfolios like a mini presentation/reading. That has been fun. I have one more today. My final exam is on Monday for my British Lit class. That will be an oral exam on “Gulliver’s Travels.” The online creative writnig class doesn’t have an exam but I’m still waiting on a few portfolios. One good thing about finishing up exams, besides the obvious end of the semester, is that my schedule is back to being a little more flexible – thus – why I am here bright and early.
I’m gonna post my poem in progres first and then some other links:
–time to revise!
This is very new, as I drafted it on Wednesday and it hasn’t been through any type of revision. I want to work in more play on the senses since I noticed – on reviewing - that sight and touch are already there.
As always feel free to post your own work in progress in comments and/or to comment on mine and/or anyone else’s. I will take down my work and work by anyone else a week from now.
This weekend I’ll be heading to Asheville for Wordfest. I’ll be reading with two other poets on Sunday at 3pm at Malaprop‘s books. I love reading at Malaprop’s, well, and just being in the Asheville area. Such a terrific city. There are other events all weekend so this would be a great time to head into the NC mountains. My publisher sent copies of “Fat Girl” but I have to decide if I want to promote other books. I had the same question with myself yesterday when I dropped off copies of “Fat Girl” at a local indie bookshop: Park Road Books. I know these are good problems to have, but most stores want you to be promoting one book so that each time you read you are promoting something different. I’ll probably keep to that rule and read more from “An Amateur Marriage” at open mikes until I book other readings later this summer and year.
Which reminds me . . . need a poet? 
Have a great weekend!
Happy Friday everyone!
Yay for the end of the semester and flexible schedules! Have fun too reading at Malaprops for Wordfest….that whole weekend looks like so much fun…wish I lived closer.
I really like your draft, Jessie. I like where it’s at, I’m interested to see where it’s going, and where it ends up. I especially like your description of the walls being like the popcorn ceilings and then the description of the popcorn ceilings– how they trap bugs and pop balloons……
Well, I did four poems this week, which is a good thing for me……one, and maybe two seems to be more my speed lately, so I was happy about four, but still in the process of contemplating revisions…I have to always step away for a couple of days then go back and see what I think. But anyway, here’s one of them:
–the poem went out for an electronic cigarette
Val- I kind of miss the marlboro man in spite of hazards of smoking- his rugged good looks, Heh!
This has a lot of fun to it! I’m going to come back later and reread it Val, I can see it evoking so many things.
Jessie- you can write about anything and make it sound good. I agree with Val and Helen.
Thanks E! That was such a fun read, Val
I love love that opening. You pulled me along. Wonderful.
Thanks E and Jessie!
Hope I get to see you a time of two before long. Can you make it to Poetry Hickory Tuesday?
Have a wonderful time at Malaprops.
I think your poem has great potential. I love “the white cubes of rooms.” We were at the NC Museum of Art yesterday and that describes the space accurately.
I actually have a poem this week, although the week has been another busy one.
–let’s hope this poem doesn’t meet up with an iceberg
Wow, love how you wove together the super moon with the Titanic. Good stuff!
Yes! Moon and tide writings draw me in. I remember the moon scene in a movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, name escapes me, but the moon does not…
I have a two o’clock meeting on Tuesday – last official day of the semester so I’m still up in the air as to whether or not I can go to poetry hickory. Hope to though!
Here I am talking about val’s opening and your closing. Love that touch of humor. Now to find more middles
Hi all,
I second the Happy Friday wishes! Even though my Friday is almost over now.
Jessie, this is great. I especially love the shift of focus from the main character to outside and back, and the descriptions of the setting are so vivid it’s incredible. I can’t wait to see, if I get an opportunity to that is, what other sensory detail you work into it.
Val, this is also incredible. I have a feeling, though, that if you made some found poetry out of the cooking instructions for a tin of baked beans it would sound great. There’s so much wonderful language in this it’s amazing, ‘skyscraper bones’, ‘edifice of twitch-blink anxiety’, ‘oh-give-me-a-home afternoon’… I could go on listing for ages here. Nice work!
I need a fresh list of superlatives to describe how I feel about Come Saturday, too. I love the pace of this one, it feels so gentle and unhurried. I also love the ending. The dig at the movie and its leading actor, great stuff.
Well, like Val, I’ve been writing a bit more than usual, lately, too, although after reading your poems I kind of feel like a guy constructing a treehouse in his garden in amongst master craftsmen to be honest. I’d like to share something I’ve been working on, though. This is another one about my schooldays, in a way.
–this poem just got a bit hungry
All the very best with everything you’re aiming for everyone, and have a fabulous weekend.
Don’t be so hard on yourself, Simon, this is wonderful! I love the title, there are such great images in this, and that last stanza is so great–”equally as unseen” is a powerful line here, and “I have to tell them I see them now” is such a great ending.
Thanks for the compliments on my poem too.
Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much Val. I guess you can get too close to a piece of writing, the more you edit it. By you, I mean anyone of course. I really appreciate your lovely comments on the ending too–I did wonder about it to be honest. Wasn’t sure if it was strong enough. Thanks again!
Oh Simon, I was totally following line to line and what a great ending. I humble myself to all the great writing over here. I learn from you all. *giddy as a little girl clapping*
E Stelling
Well, I’m exactly like that too…if you look at it too much, suddenly the words don’t mean anything to you anymore. It always helps to put some distance in. So many times I think , “Done!”….then look at it again later, and see it completely differently. That’s what I like about this blog though, because fairly neutral eyes can give it a read, and react.
I totly agree that we need those extra sets of eyes! I like to have someone summarize what is actually going on in very narrative poems. That can be enlightening
Iike where you end up with this one although im a little unsure about the start. Seems perhaps a little personal? Maybe free write a bit more? I just found myself wanting to know more!
Thanks Jessie, I’ll work on that. I like the free writing idea, I’ll get on it.
By the way, your tin of baked beans comment was funny….but if you saw some of my stuff that never makes it off of my computer page, you wouldn’t say that at all
I’m sure I would, but every writer I’ve read on writing says it’s OK to write … stuff you wouldn’t show anyone, let’s put it like that.
I absolutely agree! Sometimes we just write to write. Crap and all
Glad to see everyone today! Wish we could sip virtual tea and discuss poetry openly!
This one is also fairly new, but it sat until I came back with some revisions. I have wanted to write from a totally dream like and made up perspective…so I tried this…and for those of you who know me, it is not about my daughter at all…
–this poem is out getting a new shade
Wow, this is incredible. So strong! Great, great stuff. My favourite image/phrase ‘bones break to remind us of healing’. Absolutely love that.
Thanks Simon. I’m only back fast because I got an email alert saying you commented LOL Love electronics! I also see a mistake, used ‘safely’ twice, did not mean too. Oh well, fresh eyes will meet it again.
This is very strong
although brakd should be break correct!
LOL A bit Oops…been tired today, so I missed several things, thanks!
This is cool, E. I agree with Simon–that line “bones break to remind us of healing” really got me too.
Sigh. Got a rejection email today. It didn’t hurt at all either. I knew they were weak, I hit ‘send’ too soon at times, or at least this time.
Back to the drawing board!) Now I have some to post next Friday! Heh! The smile is back on…