>For what's its worth, I still remember in astonishment a colleague,
>hitherto interested in autobiography and "freshman English," who
>had a year sabbatical telling me she had started writing poetry, and
>remarking how easy it was since all you had to do was get up and write a
>poem every day. "Nothing," as she said, "to it."
>
>I was to flabbergasted and untenured to think of an appropriate reply,
>"I'm sure," etc.
>
>David Latane
>[log in to unmask]
>
Actually, she was right. If we could only get out of our own way, if we
could only give up on our restrictive and prescriptive concepts, if we
could only let our bodies sing in the world like bird's flight, if we could
only vocalise our wondrous selves without pride, without fear, if we could
only ... And we can sometimes. Those times will fly by untethered if we are
not at the place to record them. A daily habit a la William Stafford
produces more than those who would place poetry as a sacred act above the
physical world, waiting for inspiration. Most of my inspiration comes when
I am in the field, working with words. And certainly I write daily. I write
for a living, so write (now) building brochures, travel videos, teach uni
courses, write stories toward a collection, and jot down ideas and images
towards future poems in a file I call PIP: poetry in progress. But all this
knots the kite's string, and I would rather lay back in yonder field and
invite the soul - with my laptop humming on my chest in anticipation.
There's probably no right or wrong way to write poetry. There's just your
way and my way. But no poems will get written if you don't get black on
white. And to that end I'll say good night, and open up PIP (maybe it'll be
fruitful, ha ha).
Andrew
PS: Did Ted Hughes ever restrict himself to one poem a day? Or Lowell when
he was deliciously sonneteering? Berryman with his Dream Songs?
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Andrew Burke Copywriting
[log in to unmask] Creative Writing
http://www.bam.com.au/andrew/ Editing
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