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Writing from my own experience ...

9/27/2017

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Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, popularly known as Oscar Wilde, who wrote plays, fiction, essays, and beautifully rich poetry, reportedly said, "Experience is one thing you cannot get for nothing.

Decades and decades ago, I purchased a full-dress drum set from an neighbor ... once he'd finally lowered the price substantially.  I immediately set myself to learn all I could about playing drums.

I took an ever so brief introductory lesson from someone in a local shop that sold drums, and set about applying what he had shown me when I got home.  Eventually, I was able to actually play them. 

At some point, my technique became more or less automatic and I was able to let my hands and feet do the drumming more or less on their own while I sat there immersed within the syncopated rhythm.

That's when I got up and walked.  My entire purpose in buying and learning to play my drum set was to experience that immersion so that I could write a poem about sitting there within the beats.

I applied this approach to learning to simultaneously play the piano and sing along with a tune, as well.  Then I turned my attention to my guitar and did likewise.  I did this mainly for those experiences.

Along the way, I developed a much deeper appreciation for music, and especially so for classical Music after I learned to play some short, simplified pieces.  I was even able to compose a bit of music.

I had never actually intended to master any of these instruments, (this poet is more explorer than perfectionist), but I paid for these experiences with patience, time and a bit of ready cash, for poetry.    

 
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Image: ​vincentmars.com
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A new opportunity for reading poetry ...

9/22/2017

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I am pleased to announce that I have been invited as the Featured Author to help kick off the very first Poetry, Wine and Cheese event in Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington.

Following a brief introduction, I will be reading some of my poetry, sharing a deeper understanding of my work, as well as relating the background of my involvement in rhyming metered verse.

Everyone in attendance is also invited to share and discuss their own work, or the work of their favorite writer.  This open forum is intended as an ongoing arena for sharing and discussing poetry.

So, if you happen to be on the Long Beach Peninsula on September 27th, you are cordially welcome to join us for a glass of wine and a bit of cheese while we peruse some poetic works together.




Image:  David Rigs
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Running on empty here ...

9/16/2017

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I started working on this post several days ago with a promising first line, followed by a fairly able second line, soon followed by my entire wave of thought dissolving into foam on the beach of my intent.

No matter what I did to regroup and begin again my words just kept falling like tatters of exhausted cloth into a bottomless shadow on the floor.  Apparently, my muse decided, apologetically, not to play.

So, here I am with nothing to post.  So be it.  No big.  I merely thought I'd mention it, save the page, post it and move on.  Perhaps my muse will be more willing to work with me next week.

Although I keep a list of blog ideas on hand, many worked out to some degree and others merely noted, none of then were enough to entice even the whisper of interest to that which I call "my muse."

So, tata for now,  See you next time. 

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The work must be lean ...

9/7/2017

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Elmore Leonard, American novelist, screenwriter, and author of Get Shorty, said "I try to leave out the parts that people skip."  Oh, for a device, or a sixth sense, that could predict those particular parts!

Every now and then, I take a fresh look at my work.  What I'm looking for are things like, "Does my poem still measure up to my ideal?" or, "Could I have used a more perfect word or phrase there?"

I am doggedly deliberate about the words I choose, in concert with my muse.  But, when I'm about to review a poem, especially an older piece that I haven't read in a while, I begin to feel apprehensive.     

As with Mr. Leonard, I work hard to leave no extraneous bits in my work.  Every part must be accounted for.  The work must be lean, though fluid, and rigidly constructed, yet appear effortless.

Even so, I'll often second guess my ability to engage the reader, to hold their interest captive throughout, and to make as certain as I am able that the reader will find no reason to "skip" anything therein.

And, I have discovered that developing this habit of occasionally reappraising my work, regardless of how daunting it may feel, has rewarded me with insights which I might have easily missed.

I get to see from a distance how the intended mechanism of my work is functioning.  The farther removed I am in time from its initial composition, the more clearly I can see what is or is not there.

I may elect to tweak the machinery a bit if needs be, or fine tune a cog here or there, but I am ever so elated if I find that my original intent has stood time well enough to pass the tests I apply to it.

I have been writing poetry for so long now, and I have gleaned much from my many mistakes.  I may not be able to predict skippable parts, but perhaps due diligence can guard against them.
         



   
 



Image: ​http://nikichanel.com
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    Author

    I've written many poems over the years.  This blog is a preview of my books: Echoes, Neo-Victorian Poetry (April 2013), Echoes ll, More Neo-Victorian Poetry (May 2014), Echoes lll, Even More Neo-Victorian Poetry, (August 2016), and A Compilation of Echoes. (September 2016), so far ...

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