I want to be a poet, so I say “I am a poet.” I want to be a writer, so I say “I am a writer.” I have these tales in my head I write them down. I have these poems I place in this dumping ground. They’re rough draft versions that need much work.
Editing- that’s what they need.
Editing, the dreaded daunting task of correcting my own work. In this exercise, I stab my piece and make it bleed. Slashing the prose of my mind, I become the killer—my very own horror movie. Holding a knife I cut through the surface of ideas, what a bloody mess! I begin stitching together the remains- I’m creating Frankenstein.
I have blood on my hands.
I must massacre all my hard work.
The blood, sweat, tears and hand cramps didn’t create an impeccable first draft. I do not want to hack away any piece of them, of the story or the lines of poems. I am, emotionally invested in the purpose of my prose.
Weaving together intricacies, creating new identities, giving life to the characters you read. Even made up people have feelings too!
I know that what I have is a draft. I know that I must continue to create.
I know that I must learn to walk away.
Breathe and take a break.
To write and create!
At an earlier time I believed that each of my poems was a whole finished thing, a completed thing, to remain unchanged for all time after I had written it.
Now I believe that each poem is a milestone of my thinking and my feeling. I relish editing/revising when the mood is on me. If I can make the poem better, I do it. I tend to think that the Muse stops by every now and then to help me create, and also to help me re-create. I tend to think that the poet’s craft is perhaps mostly involved in the delight of assisting in the metamorphosis of a poem…
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Well thank you for sharing your thoughts I really appreciate this! Beuatifully written! 🙂
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Delia, if what you write comes from your heart, soul and angst, love, hate, fear, sexuality, loneliness, then I wouldn’t change a word and for perspective, I would read every poet, If I were you, especially e.e. cummings, James Joyce. and so many poets who reveal their reality through their instinct, not right, not wrong, just truth to their feelings. I think your poetry is beautiful, true, honest and hits at the heart of what poetry is meant to do, touch deeply human emotions, raw, real, and not platitudes. I think your poetry is brilliant because it is raw, true, it means something so rare, so deep and real. It is a rare gift. K D 🙂
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Thank you! Did I ever mention to you that I always look forward to comments and feed back from you! I am humbled by your kind words again and again! 💜
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Delia, I am so glad. Always stay true to your talent. I love your work. Karen 🙂
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