Dark skies
loom over me
like a grumpy older brother.
I slump
and try to hide
until his mood
improves.
As this is my final post for National Poetry Month, I thought I’d reflect a little about the process of writing a poem a day for the last 30 days. First of all, yay me, I did it! It was hard to find time to write every day but I did. Of course this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my family. So, yay family, too! In many ways it was great to write every day. It gave me faith that I can indeed write every day, that I won’t run out of things to say, or things to write about. Writing every day pushed me to be creative. Would I have written about a fire hydrant if I hadn’t committed to writing about a backyard treasure every day for 30 days? I doubt it. What I didn’t like about writing and posting every day was not having more time for revision and critique. I missed having the time to put the poems aside and then look back at them with distance. With distance odd rhymes, awkward meter, and confusing content become louder and easier to hear. If I do this again next year, I’ll try to start a week early so I can build in a little cushion. I may even decide to take weekends off. Writers need to write but I do think they also need breaks. I might also try to come up with a theme that provides more variety. I thought Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s thrift store them was brilliant. In any case I have 11 months to decide.
I also want to thank Jone Rush MacCulloch and her student Dylan J. Last week they sent me a wonderful postcard as part of Jone’s celebration of National Poetry Month at her blog Check It Out. I absolutely adore the phrase “unhurried worm.” I’d like to be an unhurried worm some days. I hope you enjoy the poem and illustration as much as I did.
I’ll be taking a blog break from now until May 16 when I’ll be hosting Poetry Friday. See you then!
© Elizabeth Steinglass, 2014, all rights reserved
