crafting a poem

A poem is really crafted in the editing process. I hate knowing this. I hate knowing its true. I’m at a very discouraging part of the editing process. All I have are bits of unpoems. words on a page. cliched words on a page no less. I want to throw them all away and start the agonizing process all over again except logically I know I’ll have to start the agonizing process all over again.

The trash men didn’t take our garbage this morning because it was too full. Like I have the extra space for that. At least it’s getting colder and nothing will reek too much of rot. But that’s how I feel with my editing right now too. Raw chicken, rotten banana peels, toenails, the empty shell of an acorn squash and I’m stuck with all of it for god knows how long. I have to weed through it all to see if there’s anything worth saving and I’m terrified there’s nothing worth saving.

who wrote all this crap anyway? A 10 year old?

Maybe it means I’m growing up. That my style is changing. Whatever it means, I have a lot of work to do and I keep getting distracted. Perhaps it’s time to lock all the doors.


Comments

3 responses to “crafting a poem”

  1. There are always – almost always, the trash may be an exceptiopn – pieces worth saving…a word, a group of words, a new idea the unselected words suggest. Sometimes we intentionally or through mischance stick a finger – or fork – in the socket and get a jolt we weren’t ready for, a surge of malignant energy that was probably supposed to be aimed somewhere else. My mind is as unkind to me at times as any human I’ve ever known; I frequently need to give it money for ice cream and send it around the corner. What used to cost a dime now runs a good couple of dollars. And it can run faster than it used to. I swear everything builds on what went before. If THOSE aren’t the poems, they must the gravel under the whatever-comes-next for what will be created new.

    1. Marylinn,
      You are a saint. Thank you for your encouragement. I’m worried about the doubt coming back so soon after if left, but as you say I will try to ‘give it money for ice cream and send it around the corner.’
      Thank you for your kind words. They are so much help. Yes, the words are the gravel to poems. Thank you Thank you.
      xoxo
      Rachel

  2. It is my gift, our exchanged comments. For anything I bring, you are most welcome. xoxo

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