I originally wanted to submit this for the last dVerse Poetica submission.... But I was late to the link-up because life got in my way... I still wanted to use this prompt, so I linked it up at the OLN.
Entries of all the participants can be found here.
My Ars Poetica
In the earliest of my writing days,
Poetry was a mechanism to ease the solitude
of being the odd pencil in the box:
it was a canvas for the bubbling rage of a teenage girl
trapped in the corners of her psyche,
and a self-centered desire for validation,
a "look what they have done to me" ode—
now buried in the depths of the internet
under a pen name nobody remembers.
But I have been growing alongside my creations,
with language aimed at my central lobe,
manipulating the syntax to control the dagger
while concealing my own wounds
with some fancy words—and yes,
I handpick them myself.
I even reread the stanza five times,
rearranging the structural flesh around the spine,
trying to beautify the birth defects,
until some mysterious voice in my head says:
stop now, child...
you are smothering the poem.
There's more of my work:
All of the six-sentence stories.
The Nervous Poet Entries for the SSC&B.
There is also a page for all of the poetry.
More personal entries can be found at the Blog.
The IT studies blog in Estonian for a course at the university.
the Band "Chaos in Spring" is on YouTube, Spotify and other streaming services.
Love the way it ends… how too much editing may kill the poetry… perfection is never perfect
Thank you so much, and I think that poetry is like people, the little odd things here and there are what make it beautiful.
This resonates. Poetry grows alongside of us, shifting to meet our needs and passion.
Thank you, I do think so too. Art is needed and what began as a way to deal with my emotions or thoughts became a way to learn through reading and creating.
Even if I have recently gone back to my roots with the darker voice and all. It’s still different than it was then.
I love “stop now, child… you are smothering the poem” It says so much about learning to trust your own voice. Great poem
Thank you so much and it’s something I struggle with a lot as someone who tends to write rather darker poetry I always find myself asking while editing… Is this okay to say out loud. But then again, you can only edit the poem so much for it to still feel raw and honest.
I should probably take a leaf out of your book (pardon the pun), Reelika, and spend more time rereading my work before letting fly free, but your ending is also very wise – don’t smother the poem…
I don’t want that book… You can have it. 😂
Nice one
Thanks for dropping by my blog
Much love
Thank you and you are very welcome.
A beautiful description and analysis of your writing journey – and how wonderfully it is travelling now – Jae
Thank you so much!
I love that its your canvas and you are growing along with it. Its a learning journey for me. Authenticity is important, even in all its imperfections.
Thank you, I think too, that it’s important.
stop now, child…
you are smothering the poem.
Too much editing apparently can be detrimental. It is great to know how you managed it!
I wonder why did I have to rescue your comment from the spam again. Thank you so much I love your poetry too.
Knowing when the editing is finished, knowing when your poem holds your truth, and knowing when it is ready to be shared are all part of the beautiful process.
Yes, yes they are.
Thank you.
Yes, yes they are. Thank you!