30 Poems in 30 Days: Finding New Ways To Stay Inspired
September 30, 2007 by John Hewitt
This is Day 27 of 30 Poems in 30 Days
The Search for Inspiration
Sometimes I get stuck for ideas to write about. It is easy to get stuck in a rut as a poet. Staring at a blank page or a blank screen can be intimidating. Here are a few ways, presented in the tried and true list style, which can help you get started.
Call a friend and talk about old times
Collaborate with another poet
Exercise
Give yourself a deadline
Give yourself permission to write badly
Go someplace new
Interview yourself
Just start writing anything that comes to mind as fast as you can
Listen to your favorite music
Look at old photographs
Meditate
Read a magazine or a newspaper
Read someone else’s poetry
Read your own poetry
Review your old work
Start with a title
Take a swim, bath or a shower
Take a walk
Try another medium such as drawing or painting
Try something new
Today’s Poetry Assignment
Use one of the methods from the list above as inspiration for your poem. if you post your poem, be sure to write down which method you chose.
Today’s Poetry Assignment
If you truly want to get the poetry world all riled up, write a book of prose poems. If you don’t believe me, just read some of the reviews of Karen Volkman’s work. Better yet, go read the work yourself and see if YOU get riled up.
Interview with Karen Volkman
Karen Volkman: Poetry’s Latest Punchline
Karen Volkman – Vacancy’s Ambassador
Poems
[I have a friend. My friend is a sky.]
There Was a Stare
When Kiss Spells Contradiction
Books
Spar
Crash’s Law
Related links
- 30 Poems in 30 Days: Persona Poems (1.000)
- 30 Poems in 30 Days: About Forms and Lists (1.000)
- 30 Poems in 30 Days: A Brief Glossary of Meter (1.000)
- 30 Poems in 30 Days: The Good the Bad and the Meter (1.000)
- 30 Poems in 30 Days: Syllabic Verse (1.000)
Contact John Hewitt
Writing Content and Web Consulting
Email: hewitt@poewar.comPhone: (520) 261-6104
LinkedIn: poewar
Twitter: @poewar
Facebook: pwar2
Black Tears
The most uncontrollable urge
A motionless and numb feeling
A wave of sadness hits me
Laying, looking at the ceiling
A dark cloud curtains my eyes
Shadows chase away my thoughts
All good feelings soon disappear
I’ve screamed and fought
Flowing like a waterfall
Too much pressure
Not able to see the road ahead
The thought of death which still lures
Not caring or worrying
My mind is made up
Tomorrow will never come
The thought of darkness fills my cup
From my mind
To the tips of my toes
I scream in anguish
As my black tears flow
Where am I to go?
I am stuck in one place
Cemented to the ground
Gazing at all of my mistakes
My head down
I look up at the many lights
I know by now it must be late
My eyelids close to think
I know now I must wait
I sit down
Everything gone but one left
I hold on tight
And sink in my first but one last breath
I’ll be all right
Half of my cups full
Half is empty
I have both feelings
But confusion is what I see
I’m blinded by the water
The darkness fogs my view
The undesirable passion for help
Seems to float upon my pew
Where will my life take me?
Where will I end up?
The dark waters are approaching
They fill my cup
The falls take over my face
Tears are unmistakable
The night lures upon me
My heart, very breakable
Everything’s in the open
The pieces deep within
My garden full of rotten things
Yet still blossoming
But what if there’s a different way
A way just lying about
I look to my tears for the truth
But they are too dark to seek out
I seek for help but I fall
On my hands and knees I scream
I’m alive!
I scream
The twist comes around me
The feeling of love comes along
Arousing my mind
Proving everyone wrong
If only to reach you
With fireflies
Just above me
Glowing in my eyes
My pain grows
As I fight it off
Screams fill my body
My blood is heated as it flows
^Interview myself
^Start with a title
^Take a shower
I used these to inspire me to write I also drew a picture of a man screaming with his neck in pain. When I was younger no one really liked me and if they did it was only because it was convenient for them. I had a hard time growing up, not only was I abused but to everyone else around me if you where adopted you where not wanted, that was me. I felt horrible, I was glad that I got adopted but felt horrible that I was treated like scum on the bottom of someone’s old sneakers. I’ve gotten over it all and feel wonderful. I did write this poem a while ago, but used these to write it. A therapist had gave me these ideas, not only to get over the experience but to let it go, but not to forget. It really helps, really!
You certainly succeeed in imparting the overwhelming, relentless nature of those feelings!
Out of Pocket
We argue about money
I don’t want to be the guy
The husband
Who is pissed about money
Who says no
We can’t have this
I’ve been broke
It sucks
I don’t want to do that
Not again
Not because I can’t
I don’t need much of anything
But you
But you
But for you
You want so many things
And I want you to have them
I feel as guilty about money
As I do about food
I can’t stop though
I can’t stop calling up the account balance
I try to loosen up
To give up worry
Wondering where it all goes
No cushion
Nothing for emergencies
Nothing if I get sick
Or sick and tired
Or fired
I wish it didn’t matter
I wish you were the cheap one
Who says we can’t spend the money
We have to wait for something better
I want to forget about it
But I can’t
Release
____________________________________________
Written using a meditation followed by a deadline
John,
Wow, I felt the love and worry comming out. I really felt as though the feelings jumped out at me and grasp me into a caccoon. I loved it. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Rosemary,
Thank you
John: Yes, I agree with Rianon about the mixture of love and worry, which you convey so honestly and urgently.
Rianon: Somewhere else you remarked on having had a fear of exposing yourself in poetry, letting people see inside you. But see – we all do it, comes with the territory. I think truth (which is not necessarily the same thing as fact) is essential for poetry. But we all have many things inside us, and to expose one aspect is not to reveal all at once. In any case, I think that when we see who people are, we can’t help but love them. Who would not feel for John’s concerned provider struggling with the budget, his loving son sitting by a sick mother, his new husband joyously walking the beach, and so on? We can only be who we are, and that’s fine – and it is what we have to bring to our art. (Along with the craft, which can be acquired.)
Thank you Rianon and Rosemary
ANNIVERSARY REACTION
Finding her way,
she was finding her way.
She came on the night blinded
pushing through a doorway,
a door of glass revolving
onto a laneway
and hustled
into her death-car waiting.
We always saw her smiling,
that blue gaze like a laser
full in our faces,
her head thrown back
and the wide laugh.
Screaming into that long tunnel
with a trail of following bikes.
Like billowing streamers –
but no, they were clumped, crowding.
Diana, Diana, Diana,
the wind and the moon
and memory
moaning.
——————————————
I decided to read someone else’s poetry – specifically, to gorge on Lorca for his lyricism, imagery and heightened language. Then this appeared from nowhere.
KV didn’t get me riled up so much as make me want to snigger. I don’t think the adverse reactions are because she writes prose poems. Prose poetry can be beautiful and wonderful. I think it is because she writes pretentious gobbledegook – and in the case of the interview incorporates academic jargon to boot.
On the Train Platform
I love men’s fingers
when they twitch,
in anticipation of a cigarette, say,
or before brushing the loose strand
from a woman’s face,
or while waiting to pick up a spoon
once the last soup bowl is served–
to me it seems that men are
the most honest then,
and the most busy, and later,
smoking or making love
or just filling themselves
with good hot food,
their vague expressions
betray a disinterest almost unworthy
of the rapturous optimism
they so recently possessed.
Saul Nadatas last blog post..Where the Twins Are
AUBADE
Train chuffing, prayer in the mosque, milkman’s calling,
Albarado playing, slumberous moans, water running, ,
Newspaper tumbling, , eggs frying, phones ringing,
Crows cawing, hymns chanting, leaves rustling,
These are the beautiful sounds of early morning.
Glasses clinking, breaking news, women praying,
Birds chirping, old lady sweeping, joggers mumbling,
Alarms chiming, toilets flushing, babies wailing,
Peaceful, melancholy, martinal silence
These are the beautiful sounds of early morning
Reshma Ramesh
its here i started to write poetry…..and now i have a small collection.
i want to thank poewar.com for the inspiration.
to read my full collection : http://www.poemhunter.com/reshma-ramesh/
thanks for everything
reshma