Sunday 28 October 2012

Links to poetry sites and useful resources

I am having a very barren few weeks with no new poems, as I mentioned in the last post I am recording snippets in my note book but nothing is really gelling and I am not finishing anything. So today I am going to list a few sites which I have been looking at for inspiration and new skills/etc.

Poets United - a community for poets who blog

Can U Write, naming a poem

GypsyWhim - a new artists community

Poetic parfait - poetry (what else?)

Haiku Heights - weekly prompts for Haiku

Poetry Foundation - poetry, articles resources

Poetry express - imagine, create, connect

Creative Writing Now - prompts for poetry

Just a contest - poetry competitions in the UK

Well that seems to be a good start and of course many of these will suggest other links for poets.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Why Is Writing Poetry So Difficult At the Moment?

I am having trouble with writing poetry at the moment, I want to know why. A few months ago I was able to get some down, two or three at a time. But at the moment, I can start off with a couple of lines and then dry up. One thing is that I am writing about things which happen to me and unlike those first few weeks I am not doing much, I guess. And a reservoir of ideas and creativity seems to have dried up.

Too many starts and not enough finishes / completions. I mean what can you write about a leaf falling:-
A leaf falls
A cloud crawls
Across a darkening sky
The year turns 
My heart yearns
For a summer lost, I sigh

 Or a bird which gets itself stuck, in a chain link fence:- Not even to enough to bother with yet.

 What about a sunny morning in October:-

Languid lazy water
Reflects the morning sun
A chill hovers before that disc
Waiting soon to run

A house for sale sign:-

Down our road houses marked
Signs proclaiming house for sale
Appearing like new flowers at dawn
On fertile hill and dale

Too many promising starts, most of the above actually run to three or four verses but at the end, I am thinking, "SO WHAT?" I saw this in one of the how to poetry writing books I have been reaading and it has bothered me ever since.  So the point of a poem has become more important to me, and most of mine are simply descriptive of events which happen to or around me. How can I make them more relevant. To what I ask? and the answer is I don't know. I must try and read that book again.

The other thing is bothering about small words and making poems more noun orientated. However, I am getting over that - if it works then so be it whichever it may be; but I do still prefer my lines to scan properly.

A bit of a rant and just wanted to show I have been thinking about poetry, just not getting very far.

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Writing Poetry Is Easy

Something a little different this time. I have been a little busy and poetry has not been uppermost in my mind - in fact I have nnot written anything poetic. I have however been writing daily. I have found a web site which acts like a private journal and encourages the writing of 750 words everyday. This could be your next novel, a poem, your next blog post or simply a mass of complete gobbledygook if you are finding that you have a bad case of writers block. Even pressing a single key on the keyboard a few dozen times could get you back on track!
I have tried it for eight days so far and although there is nothing concrete coming back to me, I am finding that already I am writing more in comments and even tags on my posts, etc. I actually wrote about plans for my internet projects, the weather, how I felt about all sorts of things. The point is that it is not going to be seen by anybody else so you don't necessarily need to bother about typos or spelling, the things which often get in the way of a train of thoughts (although I find that it is good practice to edit as I write) it is about creating a piece of writing for practice or even as a draft for what ever you are into at the moment, one of the reasons referred to above.

I have also been busy adding to my Zazzle store (for UK Zazzle store use this link), as I said above the descriptions and even the tags / keywords have benefitted from the practice from 750words.com

Right, now down to a little bit about poetry. I have selected the following five web pages from Squidoo as being very easy to follow and inspirational for writers new to poetry. There are many other much more detailed and complete sites around the web which I will try to list soon, I am taking stock of how helpful they can be to poets. As sources of help, community and inspiration to poets.

How to write a poem - it's easy
How to write a poem Like me
How to write a really great poem
So you want to be a poet, how to write a poem
Learning to write when you dont want to

I hope that these will be useful to even those readers who count themselves as experienced. I always feel that we can learn from most things written about a subject we think we know if we look with an open mind.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

A wake-up Call, A New Poem


A wake-up call

Leaves tap tapping on my window
Each leaf played by soft breezes
Waking me at morning light
In a gentle way that pleases

Waves lap lapping on the shoreline
Just as consciousness returns
Wakefulness from deep within
Though for sleep my mind still yearns

Wings flap flapping ‘round my bedroom
A window’s opened on the morn
In frenzied haste these wings are chased
By light as the day is born

Who’s rap rapping on my door now
I’m not ready for the day
I know what I said last evening
But please just go away

It can’t be time, it’s early yet
It hurts to raise my head
I’ll be there soon, yes – before noon
But for now I need my bed

Stop that bang, bang, banging
That’s enough, I’m giving in
Just stop that noise, give me some peace
I’ll be there, alright, you win


We stopped in a guest house / hotel for a week and there were mature trees and a large palm tree right outside the window, see image. Gave me the idea and inspiration for this poem.
 

The Ness Tunnel at Shaldon; A poem

The Ness Tunnel, Shaldon

 
Walk straight ahead.
Take the first turn on the right;
You can’t miss it,
It’s the only turn
Of course you’ll be alright.

Once around the corner
You will see just where to go.
Watch the steps
They can be slippy.
Just head straight for the light.

At the tunnels end
Find a secluded beach;
But the cliffs
May not be stable,
So take care, enjoy the sights.


This tunnel known locally as the smugglers tunnel was built to service a lime kiln built into a rocky cliff which separates the beach from the area beyond. Lime was landed on the beach and transported through the tunnel along with other goods. During WW2, the tunnel was blocked by causing a roof fall. This is still the case but another exit to the beach was built a little distance away for use by holiday-makers and the local populous to enable this secluded and private beach to be used.

Not sure if I am happy with this at all. Lack of rhyme and structure leaves me very unhappy buut I shall persevere and see how far I can get before needing to revisit objectives.

PS just changed the last lines of the second and third verse, is it an improvement?

Once around the corner
You will see just where to go.
Watch the steps
They can be slippy.
Just straight ahead, you'll know.

At the tunnels end
Find a secluded beach;
But the cliffs
May not be stable,
So take care, stay out of reach.

I think I find it an improvement but it does not give the punchy modern style which I think I am aiming for. But then again, neither did the original, LOL. Oh well c'est la vie.