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On Writing, Revision, and Sculpture

Concerning the poem, I have now entirely deleted it. The reason, it was written in the first person and highly exaggerated, also it used real names. I have read that in writing about self and family, first you must change the names and also generally not write it in the first person. This is especially true when a poem is too personal. I spent close to an hour revising the original, or I would prefer to say sculpting it.

Michelangelo said that inside the block of marble, the figure is already there. His job was just to chip away until the vision became a reality. Revising writing is much the same, especially in poetry, where you must be as succinct as possible to describe something in the best possible way. It also helps to have a thorough knowledge of the wonderful English language, with so many nuances of meaning and words derived from other languages, that the unabridged dictionary weighs half a ton. Nonetheless, writing is largely instinctive, and can be done and should be done by everybody.

There are definitely times when a blog or a diary helps to unravel thoughts and feelings that would otherwise go unsaid and continue to invade the psyche in treacherous ways, without working out any solutions or understanding what's really going on in our heads.

I want to tell a story about Robert Frost, many times repeated to me by my mother.
This writer's custom was to work all day at his writing in a room upstairs in his house and only come downstairs to join his wife for meals. At lunchtime one day his wife asked him, "What did you do this morning, dear?" To which he replied, "I took out a comma." When he came down for dinner, she asked him again, "And what did you do this afternoon, dear?" To which he replied, "I put the comma back in."

This story illustrates the attention to detail which most of us are plagued with. One must not only write but learn how to revise constantly, until Michelangelo's Pieta finally arrives. Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating.

Revision: very important; and today's report

very important:  Whoever is reading this, I want you to know I changed the poem called "The Lonelinesss" in the post called "2 more poems."
It was terrible. I picked out the best part. If you read it the first time, I'm sorry, it was a total bunch of crap.




I have a new "Smart" phone, but I am not smart enough to use it, or it isn't that smart, it's too termperamental, or I am..

what a day!

I'm feeling kinda lazy
My computer is driving me crazy
At least I have no pain
Just checking my e-mail again
is a major chore and such a bore
I've got four e-mail addresses
No, make that five
There's one I never use
Today I have a very short fuse
I'm dazed and confused
Somebody help me
untangle the web
of dreams askew
and find me something
better to do!

I.S.o.M.

I Sing of Medication

Fissure of Lamotrigine,

Stream of Sertraline,

Anti-depressant rivers

and tributaries

in their steady course wake up

a stagnant brain...

Come to my aid,

waters of surcease.

Ease the aching, the longing,

the tiredness.

Wash up to my feet

sparkling stones

of happiness.

Let me open weary eyes

to the Heart
of Llight and God.

rc

6/6/18

Isn't it?

For Reverend K., Whose Favorite Phrase was "Isn't it?"

It isn't always isn't it!
It could be wasn't it!
It could be why not after all?
Or doesn't it!
Mustn't it?
Couldn't it?
Wouldn't it?
Shouldn't it?
Why not??
Doesn't it?


(Kiss)

RC
8/8/16

Verrazano Bridge

(This was a scene one black night outside my hospital window.)

The Verrazano Bridge at Night

I’m counting the lights twinkling,

enormity of vastness.

Smiling, two jubilant red cherry sparkles on top –

bright against steel grey,

chambers grey night –

7/16