Awwwww thanks so much Rod - this made my day! 💜 Heck, it's made my week. There's really no higher compliment as far as I'm concerned. So thank you. So very much. Go well.
Thanks so much Justus - appreciate it! Yeah, the short poem is a wonderful form. I have been writing and researching them for over 20 years. I applaud you getting into writing them - and if you stick at it, I guarantee you will find a path! In the early days I found that keeping copious notes and saving everything helped, because then when I would look back, I started finding little abandoned fragments which just needed a tiny tweak to finish off - and often I preferred them to the longer work I was writing. Short poems are also a great help with writing longer poems I think - after all, what is a long poem but a lot of little poems stitched together?
Gosh your creativity is boundless Dick, so wonderful. I loved hearing about your film making and early poetic endeavours. It shows in the quality of your work.
Aw thanks Amanda! Been a long time since I was quite so boundless, but looking back, I made a lot of stuff haha. So glad the film work was interesting to you as well - I wasn't sure whether to include it, but then I was like, well, they're a kind of poetry too. Thanks for the lovely words about my work - really means a lot. And congrats on the book again! Looking forward to seeing it when it comes out.
We all have so many facets and stories, I love learning about each others’ ‘past lives’. They weave in and out of our presents. And thanks for your congratulations, I appreciate knowing you’re looking forward to seeing it!
So true - and so well put :-) Yeah, I really am! The cover looks excellent, and have been really enjoying your work here. And as a book publisher myself - love to see more good poetry books in the world.
Oh wow, you're a book publisher, that's cool! I'm so glad you like the cover. It was not an easy choice to make. Feeling grateful for our connection here, so good to have found such inspiring writers such as yourself.
Yeah - I do editions of forgotten poets that have enough work to fill a book. You can check em out in the Forgotten Poets bookshop: https://forgottenpoets.substack.com/p/forgottenpress I have been redesigning the early books, so not everything is up yet, but am getting there slowly.
Same! There is a really great community of poets here, and I also find it really inspiring. So invigorating to see others putting out stellar work on a regular basis!
Aw thanks so much Fotini - really appreciate it. Yeah, I am quite partial to the forest work - I had forgotten about it, and then found a folder on a hard-drive with lots of old bits and pieces. Aw yay - same to you (but yours will travel to Aotearoa)! I haven't made a book in a long time, but I do really want to put some of my more recent poetry somewhere so have slowly been compiling and editing.
Cheers LeeAnn - aw glad you chose that one. It's one of the two here which I slightly edited, and it's good to know the edit is working (I cut one line). Oh nice - I am sure that will be a great time! I have been a very short poem advocate for over 20 years - it's been the bulk of what I write, and what I read. For me, there is a particular magic in it - something very old and very deep. And I really encourage all poets to explore it, it can teach so much - after all, what is a long poem but lots and lots of little poems. :-)
Gorgeous very short poems remind me of snapshots of everyday life. You've captured a small detail, seemingly irrelevant. By putting these all together, somehow they are describing the thoughts that creep up and try to warn or tell us something we push away. Enjoyed reading how you put these together with the pink ribbon and all!
Wow - thanks so much for the lovely, detailed comment and thoughtful analysis. Wonderfully put. Haha - I have always loved pink :-) Yeah - I think you're spot on - a lot of my work had dealt in that kind of space - mainly due to mental health issues. And so poetry became a way of engaging emotions which I didn't necessarily acknowledge or process properly. I love the way you cut through the imagery and felt the core of the poems. Thanks again - I really appreciate your thoughts.
Aw thanks so much April! I am so glad they have that visual impact. It's always a balance - getting the imagery to resonate both sensually and emotionally. So glad these ones worked for you. :-)
Dick’s poems
make my life
better
Brief lines
with meaning
delight
It’s time someone wrote some poems for you, Dick. 😃
Awwwww thanks so much Rod - this made my day! 💜 Heck, it's made my week. There's really no higher compliment as far as I'm concerned. So thank you. So very much. Go well.
I'm glad you enjoyed my response, Dick! I appreciate what you do.
Love the tree! I’ve been playing with short poems lately and I’m exceedingly envious of your perfect imagery!
Thanks so much Justus - appreciate it! Yeah, the short poem is a wonderful form. I have been writing and researching them for over 20 years. I applaud you getting into writing them - and if you stick at it, I guarantee you will find a path! In the early days I found that keeping copious notes and saving everything helped, because then when I would look back, I started finding little abandoned fragments which just needed a tiny tweak to finish off - and often I preferred them to the longer work I was writing. Short poems are also a great help with writing longer poems I think - after all, what is a long poem but a lot of little poems stitched together?
Gosh your creativity is boundless Dick, so wonderful. I loved hearing about your film making and early poetic endeavours. It shows in the quality of your work.
Aw thanks Amanda! Been a long time since I was quite so boundless, but looking back, I made a lot of stuff haha. So glad the film work was interesting to you as well - I wasn't sure whether to include it, but then I was like, well, they're a kind of poetry too. Thanks for the lovely words about my work - really means a lot. And congrats on the book again! Looking forward to seeing it when it comes out.
We all have so many facets and stories, I love learning about each others’ ‘past lives’. They weave in and out of our presents. And thanks for your congratulations, I appreciate knowing you’re looking forward to seeing it!
So true - and so well put :-) Yeah, I really am! The cover looks excellent, and have been really enjoying your work here. And as a book publisher myself - love to see more good poetry books in the world.
Oh wow, you're a book publisher, that's cool! I'm so glad you like the cover. It was not an easy choice to make. Feeling grateful for our connection here, so good to have found such inspiring writers such as yourself.
Yeah - I do editions of forgotten poets that have enough work to fill a book. You can check em out in the Forgotten Poets bookshop: https://forgottenpoets.substack.com/p/forgottenpress I have been redesigning the early books, so not everything is up yet, but am getting there slowly.
Same! There is a really great community of poets here, and I also find it really inspiring. So invigorating to see others putting out stellar work on a regular basis!
Thanks for the link! I will check it out. 🙌
Love your forest as much as your poems. Next time you decide to make a book, know that one copy will travel to Greece :)
Aw thanks so much Fotini - really appreciate it. Yeah, I am quite partial to the forest work - I had forgotten about it, and then found a folder on a hard-drive with lots of old bits and pieces. Aw yay - same to you (but yours will travel to Aotearoa)! I haven't made a book in a long time, but I do really want to put some of my more recent poetry somewhere so have slowly been compiling and editing.
These are wonderful. And the images with the poems, particularly this one:
nobody sees:
a tree crying
over
powerlines
I’m taking a short poem workshop and so looking forward to it.
Cheers LeeAnn - aw glad you chose that one. It's one of the two here which I slightly edited, and it's good to know the edit is working (I cut one line). Oh nice - I am sure that will be a great time! I have been a very short poem advocate for over 20 years - it's been the bulk of what I write, and what I read. For me, there is a particular magic in it - something very old and very deep. And I really encourage all poets to explore it, it can teach so much - after all, what is a long poem but lots and lots of little poems. :-)
Indeed.
Gorgeous very short poems remind me of snapshots of everyday life. You've captured a small detail, seemingly irrelevant. By putting these all together, somehow they are describing the thoughts that creep up and try to warn or tell us something we push away. Enjoyed reading how you put these together with the pink ribbon and all!
Wow - thanks so much for the lovely, detailed comment and thoughtful analysis. Wonderfully put. Haha - I have always loved pink :-) Yeah - I think you're spot on - a lot of my work had dealt in that kind of space - mainly due to mental health issues. And so poetry became a way of engaging emotions which I didn't necessarily acknowledge or process properly. I love the way you cut through the imagery and felt the core of the poems. Thanks again - I really appreciate your thoughts.
Oh, I had no idea. As always, great work and thank you for sharing the back story and the poems.
I love all of these! Such pictures conjured in my mind with so few words - excellent!
Aw thanks so much April! I am so glad they have that visual impact. It's always a balance - getting the imagery to resonate both sensually and emotionally. So glad these ones worked for you. :-)