A breath of our mouth Becomes the portrait of the world, The type of our thoughts And our feelings … More
Tag: Being Creative
Poets who remain poets, by Stephen Dunn
Young poets Who don’t think of themselves As apprentices Are notorious For resisting influences. They’ve experienced The first stages Of … More
More than a metaphor
‘I’m not talking to you,’ says the book. ‘Whyever not?’ I say. ‘You left,’ the book says. ‘I’m never going … More
The wedding speech
‘Where have you been?’ says the book. ‘And good morning to you, too!’ I say. ‘Where have you been?’ the … More
A need to answer, by Robert Pinsky
An artist needs not so much an audience as to feel a need to answer, a promise to respond. … More
Why did I write it down?, by Joan Didion
Why did I write it down? In order to remember. Of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to … More
On noticing, by Verlyn Klinkenborg
Is it possible to practice noticing? I think so. But I also think it requires a suspension of yearning and … More
I want to disappear
‘I’ve lost my nerve,’ says the book. ‘It’s gone, can’t do it any more. I’m done.’ ‘You haven’t of course, … More
Influence
‘Did you hear?’ says the book. ‘Ted Hughes’s brother has died.’ ‘I did see that, yes,’ I say. ’95, though. … More
Looking for Ted Hughes
‘I’ve been out,’ says the book. ‘So I see,’ I say. The book is dressed in a pith helmet and … More
Hanging out the washing
‘What are you doing?’ ‘What’s it look like?’ I say. ‘Hanging out the washing,’ the book says. ‘That’s right. I’m … More
How we spend our days, by Annie Dillard
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and … More
The Little Prince
‘I need to get away.’ ‘But there’s work to be done,’ says the book. ‘A holiday. That’s what I need.’ … More
A book into which everything can go, by Thomas Merton
It is necessary to write a book in which there will be a little less of the first person singular, … More
Running a bath
‘What are you doing?’ the book says. ‘What’s it look like?’ I say. ‘Running a bath,’ the book says. ‘Genius,’ … More
Guarding the threshold
‘What will you miss most?’ the book says. ‘About what?’ I say. ‘Me,’ says the book. ‘I didn’t know you … More
Some found poems
Recently I have featured prose writing by various writers, reshaping them in the form of found poems. Annie Dillard on … More
What it’s like to be human, by Mark Strand
If every head of state and every government official spent an hour a day reading poetry we’d live in … More