Poets

I've had such great contact with other poets recently. Ruth Everson and I had coffee together the other day with her partner Julie. Ruth will be part of our Cosmos Creative Escapes in March. 

We have had a great response to the workshop in the Free State and hopefully we will managed to capture some great words as well as photography.

Ruth write some interesting and pertinent poetry and it is really great to have met her.

I'm busy re-editing my poetry. Always a challenge. It's all very well saying that once it's read [after editing of course] it alright to let it go. But that is difficult too. Anyway I am working away, changing lines, adding this, taking away that. I often wonder if I shall EVER complete one poem to anyone's satisfaction! 

Editing

I have an editor working with me on my poems again. BW, who digs, suggests, comments and draws out the best. 

I now re-look at each poem with new, perhaps 'cleaner' eyes and wonder why [and how] I did not see what he has suggested myself! [Left brain kicks in]. 

It is most challenging for both of us as we are communicating via e-mail. However we're managing and hopefully I will have a few poems to be delighted with after a few months or so.

I tend to read B's comments very quickly - usually agreeing with them and then set the poem aside for a while to work on it again a few days later. So far it's working for the better. Let's hope it continues. I see a mail has just arrived - maybe more poems to re-create.

Re-working

So now you've written the words. It looks like a poem. Not a conventional one of course, but it has lines shorter than prose and has 'soft ending' rhyme and 'echoes' of thoughts and so on. BUT it now has to be crafted.

So I sit looking at the lines, trying to make sense of the words, and of course, the meaning. Is it subtle enough? Obvious enough? Or is all I write simply thoughts that are really quite banal?

Not sure, but certainly will try again and again until I have something resembling a 'poem'.

Painting and Poems

I think writing poems is a little like painting water colours -  so often one stops too soon. If one looks at watercolours they are sometimes simply too pale. No indigo line, magenta sparkle to add that final touch to make the painting glow. It's like that with poetry. Not enough layers or depth. Too obvious a word, too many adjectives.

I have sent some poems to BW who will I hope, help me craft them into something more substantial. I've set a deadline for myself and hope that by the next poetry retreat I'll have something more substantial to present to the group.

Off to look at the comments and then to re-work. A busy weekend ahead.

Retreats

We have returned from a wonderful escape in the Hogsback.

The Edge - on the edge of the mountain overlooking the valley - was where we stayed. A tiny self-contained cottage with a fireplace and small kitchen. Ideal for quiet time and retreat.

Four aspiring poets met four professionals for a four day word frenzy. We shared time in stories, laughter, experiences and food.

Hopefully we will continue to share writing moments from time to time.