Last January, I joined Beverly A Baird & Linda Schueler in a "year long poetry practice – on the first Friday of each Month," when they, and anyone else who joined, wrote a poem based on the theme of the month and a photo taken relating to that theme.
You can find out more about this here.
I really enjoyed participating in this project with these two remarkable women. I appreciated the framework. I want to spend more time writing, but I have a lot of projects (of all kinds) on the go, all the time. This gave me a focus and forced me carve out time to write. I am especially thankful to not have the stress of having to do this everyday, like when I participate in the April Poem a Day challenge.
The first time I participated, I didn't get the photograph first bit. I let the theme percolate throughout the month before posting and the poem more or less wrote itself. When I realized my mistake, I sent a half decent draft of it to my partner, Randy Rotheisler, and a friend, Ron Peace, both gifted photographers, asking for images to accompany it. We continued this process, except of course for the last couple of months when they sent me images and I wrote poems based on those.
This month I'm back on track for writing the poem first and sending it off to my two favourite photographers for an image to accompany it.
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| image by Randy Rotheisler |
these days,
comes early
we turned
the christmas lights on
these bright bulbs
clinging to the eaves
across the seasons,
wait
small things
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Christmas Lights on the Spirit of Summerland 3716 by Ron Peace |
It's a tough time of year for sure with the dark coming so early. The Christmas lights sure do help perk us up. Yes, and small things matter!
ReplyDeleteThey sure do! Since our lights are up all year round, turning them on is really such a simple way to thumb our noses at the gloom.
DeleteYou described it perfectly, especially the last verse. Loved your poem! Thanks so much for being part of this project this year. Hope you continue in the new year. i always enjoy reading your poems and seeing the incredible photographs from the men.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed being part of your project and am thinking about joining you next year. I'm not sure the men are ready to do it again!
DeleteYou could design your own challenge in poetry and just link with us. We are trying to be more flexible. It is the writing of poetry that is important. But photos do add so much (your 2 photographers were wonderful by the way)
ReplyDeleteThey are professionals I think. I think I will just continue with you and see what happens. I need to be forced to sit down and write.
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