POETRY ANY HOW

Reflecting

 

Having to think through the latest stage of my journey through poetry. The grant hasn’t come off (good on those who were luckier) and the juggle is too much (the balls are crashing down – lucky it’s not chainsaws and cats). How much more can I adapt to fit creativity into circumstances!

I have already adapted by writing mainly micro poetry for about six years. By the beginning of this year I had outgrown the small but often just as challenging micro poem. I was needing the scope of more average size and longer poems and the elbow room of prose poetry again.

Result: yet more micro poems early in the year (see Hospital Poem in the cloud menu) and, resisting the micro poem from then on only two prose poems since. I am spittin.

I am eager to grow as a poet. I want to write consistently and well about themes of interest to me. I want to develop those interests through poetry (next year’s plan … if only). I am desperate to experiment.

Do I have to ask myself what’s really going on. How much is it about the re/direction I thought I was naturally bending towards? How much is it about making a mark, how to get another book out or how to scoop an elusive prize (y’know - for the dolleroos not to mention the invitations)?

The micro poems were a return to my early days of writing. Although pushed into it, for a great time I loved being back in that space. Getting two collections of wee poems published by PressPress (and another pending) was a bonus.

What else belongs to that time … Trying different things. Learning. Focusing on having poems published rather than being too bedazzled by big prizes (they are tantalising though aren’t they). Above all, just writing.

Thanks to a recent chain of events that I won’t go into here I met a particular Indian man who, after I mentioned the Kolkata/Calcutta Book Fair, gave me a link to an article by Eric Weiner titled ‘India’s chaotic lesson in letting go.’ I will paraphrase him paraphrasing Lord Krishna: Give 100 per cent to the job at hand and zero per cent to the outcome – have no expectations.

So back to that time. Writing without expectations. Any thing, any how. Somehow.

Watch this space.

© Lizz Murphy

Ref: ‘India’s chaotic lesson in letting go’ is published in the Travel section of bbc.com on September 15, 2015.

And now I've found the full url: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150901-indias-chaotic-lesson-in-letting-go