Angles of Angels, The Echoing Image
At a recent poetry zoom, a poet used a line about mirrored floors. One of the group saw the image as polished floors, another as mirrors laid on the floor. It went on to mirrors leaned against the base of a wall for room effect. Until the question was asked: why not the illusion of space? In ensuing emails, a dare was put to write a mirror poem. To me, metaphors and similes are in a sense, mirrors. They reflect angles of light on a subject;
Writing is Counting: Why I Tally-up Syllables to Draft a Poem
I always count syllables to write poetry. Not only when scribbling sonnets and haikus (both of which dictate a set number of syllables per line), but also when penning free verse into my notebook. At first glance, it might seem silly to return to the grade school habit of tallying 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10, especially for indulging in a poetic mode that typically alludes to a lack of formal restraint. Though as Christopher Cannon once indicated, elementary practices (like literacy training) are not necessarily distinct from literary
Nomadic Voluptuary: Nature and Art Inspiring Poetry
I have been drawn to art since I was young. I wanted to excel in art class in high school, but never did. I was the girl who fell behind in math, science, French, and art. Despite my poor luck at the academic side of art, the way in which I see, interpret, and live in the world is firstly through the beauty of visual images. One of my oldest friends calls me a ‘nomadic voluptuary’ because she knows that I am drawn to