By Sara
M. Robinson
For me it is a misnomer
to say I write poetry. It’s not like I set out to write an essay or even a
fictional prose piece. I have to cast about my thoughts in such a way that my
lines and stanzas provide pauses for the reader to stop and think about what I have
written. This is actually tough for me as I have always been a “gabber” with my
mantra of “why say in 30 words when 300 will work. So, I say I work at”
composing” poetry. This has served me to learn more about the discipline of
careful selection and contemplation of what to write, and say.
As in any craft in which
the artist has a strong emotional investment, practice is a key component. If I
am not writing, then I use the time for reading. I allocate a block of time to
write and think, at least 2 hours a day. I have a dedicated writing space,
which is my domain on good days, my catacomb on dark days. But I have a great
view of a big oak tree rising above our apricot tree, which stands guard over
the lilacs and this view never
fails to keep me grounded.
Even when I can watch an approaching storm I can sense a
transfer of energy.
Many artists start their
craft or their creative passion(s) early in their lives. I was not that lucky.
Poetry came late to me, after I turned 65. Many of my poetry contemporaries had
at least a 40-year head-start. I’ve had a lot of catching up to do in a short
time. I am only 70 now. And the flip side of this is that I want my poetry to
be relevant to the younger writers, too. One way I do this is by attending
conferences at colleges and spending time on campus in English departments
interacting with emerging writers. Young people today are smart and savvy. I
have to be as good a wordsmith as I can be to keep up with them, compete with
them, and be included with them.
For active poets,
newly-minted poets, and even those who simply want to read poetry, I would
offer that my regular column, Poetry Matters, in Southern Writers Magazine, could be a useful tool. The major focus of the column is
to present the art of writing poetry in a user-friendly manner without the
intimidation of academic scrutiny. I am a community poet so I work on the
accessibility of poetry to mainstream readers. After all this is where poetry
started. Poetry can be and should be accessible to everyone and anyone who
enjoys reading.
So, as I compose poetry,
I want to be a witness to the world, whether it is nature, society, or the big
area in between. Then give this witness to readers. The reader then determines
if the poems give enlightenment, education, entertainment, or all three.
__________________________________________________________________
Sara M. Robinson, award-winning poet, founder of the
Lonesome Mountain Pros(e) Writers’ Workshop, and Instructor of a course on
Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, is poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and poetry
editor for Virginia Literary Journal.
In addition to publication in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014) and Scratching Against the Fabric (2015),
and journals: Loch Raven Review, The
Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, and Poetica, she is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013), and Stones for Words (2014). Her latest poetry book, Sometimes the Little Town, released in
February 2016, is a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book
Award.
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