Your poems are absolutely lovely. I've read through them twice and they have such a calming effect. My dad (who is also a writer) shared that Paul Valery quote with me many years ago, and it's good to be reminded of it again. My current philosophy is that I write each poem as well as I can at the time. If I return to it months or years later and want to change it significantly, I do like to keep some kind of copy of the original. I like watching the changes that happen. And sometimes I find myself returning to some of the same lines as the original, which kind of tickles me. It's like a whole life cycle of a poem.
Aw thanks so much Margaret. Love that they have a calming effect! My dad is an artist, and he's passed on great bits and pieces to me as well. :-) Yeah I am with you on keeping a copy of the originals, to chart the various edits. That was especially important with these ones, as I did a bunch of (unpublished) edits around 2005-2006, but in most instances I reverted back to the originals here (with new edits haha). Like you, I really enjoy seeing the various changes and moods over the years. Love how you put it at the end - the "life cycle of a poem." Living alongside us, growing both with us, and sometimes without us. :-)
Cheers Thomas - I mucked around on those 4 lines for so long, and tried so many variations, and then realised the original phrasing was best haha. Good times with editing :-)
I am happy for you for your book being published. I hope you do well though selling poetry books is not a given. These here make poetry out small situations that the writing makes important as I see it. I enjoyed some of them; they gave me good and fun reading. Once again, good luck with your book of poetry.
Thanks so much Luis - really appreciate the kind words. I probably wasn't clear enough in the description - but these are all from a collection I already self-published in an edition of around 30 hand-made books back in 2002. :-)
Aw thanks LeeAnn. your comments really mean a lot.💜 I have been blown away by the support and encouragement for these poems from yourself, and others, and it's been very humbling. They were not really read by many people at the time, so it's really nice to give them a second life. Thanks for helping me do that :-)
Since I’ve been on substack, I’ve gone back to poems and it’s like I can see them in a different light. There’s nothing like the space of time to see something more clearly.
Absolutely! Some of them, its just one or two words our of place, and I'm like how could I have missed that at the time? But as you say, it's just the "space of time" playing out - an absolutely fantastic phrase! :-)
Love this notion of a poem being abandoned. I have felt it as released. I say all the ones I've written on Substack are 'almost finished', some more than others. Perfection may be the enemy of creativity, but in another way is good the enemy of great?
I only know when I've found the last line of a piece, the I stop writing, and concentrate on 'shaking it down', though maybe I lose good bits too sometimes. I am systemless. But so much needs to come out from an original draft.
Love your Haiku poetry, I've said it before I'd like to try them but haven't yet. Had you shared a link with me on writing this type of poetry before? I've lost it and would love to read it.
Same - really appeals to me. Yeah, I think "perfectionism" as a coping strategy, can definitely lead to an unhealthy relationship with art, it's definitely been something I have struggled with over the years, for sure. But I have a much healthier relationship with it now, so I can strive for that "perfection" (i.e. some kind of "betterness" not yet accomplished) without it destroying the creative process, or completely crippling me haha. I think the difference is, "better" now means increased enjoyment in the process (internal achievements) rather than some abstract, unknown set of standards (external judgements).
Yeah - getting the ending right is definitely an important part of the process for me too. It's either one of the first things that stabliizes, or the last thing haha. I lose good bits all the time as well, but sometimes a poem's just gotta be what it is, and no matter how good a line is, it just doesn't belong.
Thanks so much for these steers, saving links now. I have to say this discussion on leaving and returning to pieces has been fascinating.
I agree that we do the best we can at the time, and we show up other days with different ideas, vision and attention. Maybe even skills as time goes on. Letting things breathe is definitely the key to everything, I'm growing slowly into this. Thanks so much!!
Aw thanks so much Mahdi - that means a lot! I really try and get the endings right - they can make or break a whole poem, so it makes me really happy to hear that they worked! :-) And I agree, the Valery quote is so good - spot on for my approach anyhow. :-)
Your poems are absolutely lovely. I've read through them twice and they have such a calming effect. My dad (who is also a writer) shared that Paul Valery quote with me many years ago, and it's good to be reminded of it again. My current philosophy is that I write each poem as well as I can at the time. If I return to it months or years later and want to change it significantly, I do like to keep some kind of copy of the original. I like watching the changes that happen. And sometimes I find myself returning to some of the same lines as the original, which kind of tickles me. It's like a whole life cycle of a poem.
Aw thanks so much Margaret. Love that they have a calming effect! My dad is an artist, and he's passed on great bits and pieces to me as well. :-) Yeah I am with you on keeping a copy of the originals, to chart the various edits. That was especially important with these ones, as I did a bunch of (unpublished) edits around 2005-2006, but in most instances I reverted back to the originals here (with new edits haha). Like you, I really enjoy seeing the various changes and moods over the years. Love how you put it at the end - the "life cycle of a poem." Living alongside us, growing both with us, and sometimes without us. :-)
a moth /wriggling / on the /!floor - tremendous imagery!
Cheers Thomas - I mucked around on those 4 lines for so long, and tried so many variations, and then realised the original phrasing was best haha. Good times with editing :-)
Funny how often that happens!
Totally! Glad I held on to the originals, so I could restore a bunch of them (while doing new edits, haha). And it goes on . . .
I am happy for you for your book being published. I hope you do well though selling poetry books is not a given. These here make poetry out small situations that the writing makes important as I see it. I enjoyed some of them; they gave me good and fun reading. Once again, good luck with your book of poetry.
Thanks so much Luis - really appreciate the kind words. I probably wasn't clear enough in the description - but these are all from a collection I already self-published in an edition of around 30 hand-made books back in 2002. :-)
So exciting!
Thanks so much Gala - really appreciate your excitement :-)
Wonderful work again, poems that evoke images in the mind. But the images you have shared are also amazing. Very enjoyable post thank you
Thanks so much April, really appreciate the kind words - so glad the accompanying images work alongside the poems ☺️
These are wonderful. They capture so much. Each word is a gem.
Aw thanks LeeAnn. your comments really mean a lot.💜 I have been blown away by the support and encouragement for these poems from yourself, and others, and it's been very humbling. They were not really read by many people at the time, so it's really nice to give them a second life. Thanks for helping me do that :-)
Since I’ve been on substack, I’ve gone back to poems and it’s like I can see them in a different light. There’s nothing like the space of time to see something more clearly.
Absolutely! Some of them, its just one or two words our of place, and I'm like how could I have missed that at the time? But as you say, it's just the "space of time" playing out - an absolutely fantastic phrase! :-)
Love this notion of a poem being abandoned. I have felt it as released. I say all the ones I've written on Substack are 'almost finished', some more than others. Perfection may be the enemy of creativity, but in another way is good the enemy of great?
I only know when I've found the last line of a piece, the I stop writing, and concentrate on 'shaking it down', though maybe I lose good bits too sometimes. I am systemless. But so much needs to come out from an original draft.
Love your Haiku poetry, I've said it before I'd like to try them but haven't yet. Had you shared a link with me on writing this type of poetry before? I've lost it and would love to read it.
Same - really appeals to me. Yeah, I think "perfectionism" as a coping strategy, can definitely lead to an unhealthy relationship with art, it's definitely been something I have struggled with over the years, for sure. But I have a much healthier relationship with it now, so I can strive for that "perfection" (i.e. some kind of "betterness" not yet accomplished) without it destroying the creative process, or completely crippling me haha. I think the difference is, "better" now means increased enjoyment in the process (internal achievements) rather than some abstract, unknown set of standards (external judgements).
Yeah - getting the ending right is definitely an important part of the process for me too. It's either one of the first things that stabliizes, or the last thing haha. I lose good bits all the time as well, but sometimes a poem's just gotta be what it is, and no matter how good a line is, it just doesn't belong.
Aw cheers! Yeah haiku and tanka permeate most of the poetry I write. Probably the best starting point is this short Introduction to haiku, which outlines the three main aspects: https://forgottenpoets.substack.com/p/haiku-thursdays-one-plum-slowly-ripens
And then these three short pieces which unpack one of the aspects each: kana (syllables and form): https://forgottenpoets.substack.com/p/haiku-thursdays-ajo-p-1758, kireji (cut words): https://forgottenpoets.substack.com/p/haiku-thursday-bonen-1658-1727, and kigo (season words): https://forgottenpoets.substack.com/p/haiku-thursdays-bakusui-1718-1783
Still have to write a proper intro to writing haiku - it's on my list haha! Should get onto it.
Thanks heaps for the super thoughtful comment!
Thanks so much for these steers, saving links now. I have to say this discussion on leaving and returning to pieces has been fascinating.
I agree that we do the best we can at the time, and we show up other days with different ideas, vision and attention. Maybe even skills as time goes on. Letting things breathe is definitely the key to everything, I'm growing slowly into this. Thanks so much!!
Love that - letting things breathe. Truer words :-)
I love Valery's observation. It couldn't be truer.
by the way, the endings are so spot on. You know where to abandon the poem.
Aw thanks so much Mahdi - that means a lot! I really try and get the endings right - they can make or break a whole poem, so it makes me really happy to hear that they worked! :-) And I agree, the Valery quote is so good - spot on for my approach anyhow. :-)