In which I discuss poetry group again.

I had poetry group again last night. By the end of the night there were twelve of us, and we'd had a good variety of poems read, including Carl Sandburg, Elizabeth Bishop, X. J. Kennedy, Christina Rossetti, Jeanne Marie Beaumont, and Sherman Alexie. A few people read original poems, as well.

Last night's meeting was really a lot of fun. There was great poetry read (if you get the chance, read "Afraid So" by Jeanne Marie Beaumont and "The Facebook Sonnet" by Sherman Alexie), great conversation, and an impromptu reunion.

I'll explain. One of our regular members, Carole, was there. Another regular member, Andy, was also there, and invited his sister to visit. (She read two poems by Christina Rossetti and nearly made me cry. She is an excellent reader.) Through conversation, it was discovered that Carole was Andy's sister's fifth grade teacher! Of course, this was after Danny realized that three of us (including myself) were wearing the same watch, so Chris decided that he was going to go buy a lottery ticket.

See what fun can come from poetry?

Of course, aside from the reunions and sometimes silliness, there is still wonderful conversation about poetry. Last night's meeting began with "Iron" by Carl Sandburg, then "Grass" by the same poet, which launched a discussion about poetry that glorifies war, and how society has changed to glorify war in very, very different ways. We discussed writing poetry from the heart, an upcoming event celebrating Victorian women's literature, and ended with two light-hearted poems, one of which was Alexie's "Facebook Sonnet."

I have discovered that every time I go to poetry group, there are at least two poets discussed or read that I'm not familiar with. I may know the names but haven't read them, or they may be completely new to me. (And with such a long, long literary history of poetry in the Western world alone, there are sure to be more!) When I come home, I always find myself reading up on a new poet. I think that's one of the beauties of this group. After I graduated college, my poetry reading and studying sort of fell away. I am primarily a prosist, so I didn't make the time for poetry. Now that I'm in this group, not only have I made time to read and study poetry, but I've made time to write poetry again. And I think my prose is benefiting.


The imagery that poetry uses can be applied to prose (see "Blood-burning Moon" by Jean Toomer). And because poetry is generally condensed, applying that way of thinking to prose helps keep me from rambling for pages and pages to describe a single tree.


And, as if all this wasn't enough, I really love going to poetry group and connecting with local people who read, write, and appreciate poetry. Since the end of October 2011 this town has been my home, and where I intend for Puck and Tink to have roots. So I'm glad to be able to make the town more of a home by getting involved in the community. I never would have thought my town would have a poetry group--I was pleasantly surprised. I'm eager to see what else exists, and what else may develop as I settle here.

Poetry's the thing

So I've been going to this poetry group for the past couple of months. We meet twice a month. One meeting is at the library and the other is at the local bookstore. Tomorrow night we meet at the library.

I've really enjoyed going to the meetings. The size of the group has varied from as many as 18 to as few as 6, and there have been new people at every meeting. We've had a wide variety of poetry read by the members. I've discovered new poets, which is always fun, and been reminded of poets I'd read or studied but forgotten.

Those who attend who are writers have often been brave enough to read their own poems, and I love hearing the different styles and subjects that come from our diverse little group.

Of course, the best part is the discussion that comes from the meetings. My former academic advisor is a regular attendee, and his literary insights have often driven the conversation. He's able to offer background information about poets or styles or time periods, or relate seemingly unrelated poems to each other in interesting ways. And because our group is diverse (we range from librarians and college professors to fast food workers and retirees), there is always good insights and interesting perspectives that come up in conversation.

I'm so glad to be a part of this group. Not only has it been beneficial to my reading and appreciation of poetry, but a few of my own poems have come out of meetings, as well. (Including a found poem.) Getting in on the group from the very beginning, I'm helping shape the face of local poetry in my town, and get to know the people who write, read, study, and appreciate poetry. It's a good group. And I can't wait until tomorrow's meeting. (I guess I better get some editing done before tomorrow night!)

The Experience of Poetry

I think it's particularly appropriate that my poetry group started meeting just before National Poetry Month started, don't you?

I'd forgotten how much I like poetry, really. I took a poetry-writing class in college, and I liked the challenge of conciseness and strong imagery. And, as I'm sure many of you can figure, my prose benefited from writing poetry.

I think this poetry group is going to keep reminding me that poetry is an important component of literature. Sure, I'm a prose writer, and when it comes to the bulk of my work, I probably always will be. But writing poetry from time to time is a good thing, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to delve into poetry--mine or other people's, both published unpublished--every other week or so.

The writer in me wishes we were meeting weekly, but I know I wouldn't be able to go every week, and I'm sure many others would not be able to, either. So I'm happy with twice a month for now.

I was feeling particularly adventurous tonight at poetry group, so I read an original poem. It's a new one, and still needs work, but it was important to me to share because of the subject's influence on my life right now. Sorry about the vagueness, but I can't discuss more right now (when I can, I will).

It took a great deal of courage for me to read my poem tonight. I used to willingly share my writing with other writers and with my professors, welcoming feedback to improve. But in recent years I've been a different person. I became quite a bit more closed off (to a lot of things). I'm happy to say that reading my poem tonight is one of the signs that I'm getting back to my old self--my real self.

And, if I may be cheesy again for a moment, poetry is helping.

Poetry is an experience. By reading about others' experiences and writing accounts of my own experiences, I'm facing aspects of myself that I used to be afraid of. I'm able to process things I'm going through with a clarity that can only come from verse.

The challenge in writing poetry is to convey these experiences to others so they can share the clarity I feel. I'm not always successful in this challenge, but I like to think I get better each time I try.