You should be expecting within the next few days the beginning work on my study of Matthew. However, in the meantime, I would like to talk about poetry... specifically, better poetry.
Brother Killian McDonnell OSB, is a monk who wrote a wonderful book of poetry entitled "Swift, Lord, You are Not." In it he has a poem that tells how there are too many poets in the world. I often return to this poem because it speaks to my own fear that my voice is not original enough.
Funny thing about poets though... they are all fearful of vulnerability. The fact that you write your world down means that someone might read it... and if they read it... they might see you. That is a fearful thing but not as terrifying as the fact that after reading, they might consider your writing not worth the time it took to read.
Perhaps there needs to be some distance between the writing and the writer. Perhaps space between poem and poet... but I don't know. All I do know is... I desire a better poetic voice. I desire and pray for better poetry.
Gracious God, give me a staff to carry, and a harp all my own. AMEN
2 comments:
Michaelangelo,
You are a great poet. It is helpful for me to think of the creative process (in this case the poetic process) like winemaking. First is the planting of the vineyard. It takes 7 years to see the first grape--- lots of pruning and training and faith until then. Then when the grapes are harvested they are crushed and then put into a large vat and cooked and so forth. Later the grape juice is put into casks and aged. Every so often they come in and turn the casks to another angle. Finally the day of tasting comes when the winemaster samples and determines if it is ready to be served. Think about poetry along those lines--- a vineyard like life that grows the substance of the poetry, the crushing of life into the love of words, the heating up of the substance of it all to cook, writing it down on pages, going back and back and back to change the angle of the cask to refine and tinker with it, letting close friends taste it and finally releasing to the world.
I'm afraid so often most of my poems are released at the Boone's Farm level rather than Gallo. Thanks for the good stimulation here.
Michaelangelo,
You are a great poet. It is helpful for me to think of the creative process (in this case the poetic process) like winemaking. First is the planting of the vineyard. It takes 7 years to see the first grape--- lots of pruning and training and faith until then. Then when the grapes are harvested they are crushed and then put into a large vat and cooked and so forth. Later the grape juice is put into casks and aged. Every so often they come in and turn the casks to another angle. Finally the day of tasting comes when the winemaster samples and determines if it is ready to be served. Think about poetry along those lines--- a vineyard like life that grows the substance of the poetry, the crushing of life into the love of words, the heating up of the substance of it all to cook, writing it down on pages, going back and back and back to change the angle of the cask to refine and tinker with it, letting close friends taste it and finally releasing to the world.
I'm afraid so often most of my poems are released at the Boone's Farm level rather than Gallo. Thanks for the good stimulation here.
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