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If I complained to William Stafford
that I haven’t written a poem in weeks
he’d say “Lower your standards”
Natalie Goldberg would say
“Keep your hand moving”
Kerouac said dig deep within your soul
and blow freestyle like a jazz artist
But my notes are flat and motivation is flagging
so I google “advice on writing”
and quickly find an ABC formula
that reminds me too much of CPR
One missed step and someone could die
Kurt Vonnegut’s advice is worth clicking on
I especially like the part
where he says “Don’t ramble on”
then demonstrates that
by saying nothing further
I add the word “poetry”
to my “advice on writing,” search and find:
Subvert the ordinary
Don’t explain everything
Feel free to write a bad poem
Solitude is mentioned
Charles Simic suggests closing your eyes
I close the instruction manuals
open my mind like a fortune cookie
look for a poem on how to write a poem
Advice given to blocked writers and aspiring poets
by Wislawa Szymborska is helpful
She says “You need a new pen”
“The one you’re using makes a lot of mistakes
Even boredom should be described with gusto”
________Colleen Redman / Poets United
July 16th, 2017 5:27 am
“Feel free to write a bad poem” Can’t tell you how I loved this line 🙂
July 16th, 2017 7:34 am
Loved it..every word…
July 16th, 2017 8:48 am
Ha, I have been there – done that! Googled to try to find the answer to writer’s block. I like Szymborska’s advice though….it made me smile. I also like Vonnegut’s advice, as I think there is nothing worse than an uninspired poem that rambles. I really liked this poem, Colleen, as it is one that I can identify with.
July 16th, 2017 10:35 am
I so enjoyed this. Being uninspired lately, i relate. Too unmotivated even to google for assistance. Smiles. A wonderful write!
July 16th, 2017 11:25 am
What a wonderful poem!! So when you are stuck, write about it.
July 16th, 2017 11:56 am
When in doubt, write about doubt!
July 16th, 2017 3:13 pm
A clever poem….I find that I have to reconnect with my muse again…and so I search nature and spend lots of time there….and I keep writing…even a bad poem which I have found not so bad in the long run.
July 16th, 2017 3:20 pm
This is so touching and relatable.. often our muse needs a reboot.. perhaps a change of scenery or some time off 🙂
July 16th, 2017 4:45 pm
A new pen.. never thought about that… personally I advice reading a dictionary… 🙂
July 16th, 2017 4:51 pm
“Begin and continue” even if it’s an abstract scribble that can be later colored in as a masterpiece 🙂
ZQ
July 16th, 2017 6:03 pm
Very enjoyable. I no longer try.
July 16th, 2017 6:21 pm
This is so cool. The second stanza is my favorite.
July 16th, 2017 6:52 pm
Thank you for Wislawa! This poem is a wonderful gathering of the professionals. And my favorite image is the fortune cookie. We all do what we can. I’ll keep this poem in case I ever teach a class on petry again and beg my students to shut the books and get a new pen.
July 16th, 2017 8:28 pm
I just couldn’t stop laughing all the way through this beautiful, instructive and humorous poem it was excellent.
July 16th, 2017 10:10 pm
you took advice from some of the most qualified people possible — and then you followed your heart and wrote your own poem!
I enjoyed thinking about you sitting in a circle with each of these people — discussing your work and the days when it didnt flow easily — and I am quite sure you could hold your own in the discussion.
July 17th, 2017 8:51 am
Bang a head on a rock – perhaps a soft pillow if feeling more self-compassionate and generous – or yet, let the [paper] leaves fall as they will – but perhaps, the hardest and yet best advice? [as yet to be decided upon by the unseen hands of the jury] – just show up. And permission to just write crap.
Which, tongue in cheek, you’ve NOT accomplished here – love the gentle humour Colleen 🙂
July 17th, 2017 12:25 pm
Love this and the line “One missed step and someone could die” made me laugh out loud.
July 17th, 2017 2:02 pm
Very good,…..feel free to write a bad poem…… I like that, giving yourself permission to write a bad poem.
Yep, I did enjoy reding your poetry.
July 19th, 2017 5:36 pm
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