Since my last post in early May, I’ve been working on poetry. I had the opportunity to spend a day with Metis poet Conor Kerr (https://www.conorkerr.ca/). Kerr’s latest book is a collection of poems about how we all have roots in the “old gods” of a landscape, particularly the landscape of our childhood.
Kerr is currently living (and teaching) in Edmonton; the prairie landscape infuses his poetry. I was surprised that during the workshop with him I found myself remembering, in a visceral way, the images and feel of the prairie and foothills landscape outside Calgary, where I grew up. Though I’ve lived half my life in the forests and valleys of BC, and love the landscapes here, the Alberta landscape is still part of me.
I also spent a weekend with poet Evelyn Lau, and eight other accomplished Victoria poets. Lau has written nine books of poetry; here’s her latest.
I felt like the new kid on the block in the august company of poets who each have published works, some with several titles in their portfolio. We all submitted four poems in advance, and Lau and the other poets in the circle discussed them over the two days. One of my take-aways was to describe other senses as well as the visual, in creating poetic images. We tend to go first to how something looks. But what about smells, sounds, textures, other ways of feeling? Our experience of the world involves all the senses; a strong image goes beyone the visual.
Another take-away, which I am constantly re-learning, is that “less is more”, especially in poetry. Choose words with impact, and pare to the bones. And of course, the mantra “show don’t tell”. Trust the reader. Coming from a technical, report-writing background, I fight the urge to “sum up” my points.
I learned much from listening to poets discussing each other’s work; I love how poetry gives permission to my imagination to fly. When I ask myself “what if….?” I can leap and go into other ideas, other images.
I’ve set a summer goal to polish a cluster of poems and pull them together into a small chap book. I’ll see where I’m at in September!