In my post a few months ago explaining my complicated relationship with poetry I stated I had no desire to take a writing workshop.
I didn’t say I never would.
As my journey down this path of pain poetry unfolds day by day, it has begun to feel a bit lonely and in some ways the novelty has worn off and I’m left feeling…what next? Another Yoga Poem1? Sure, I have a little audience now. But I am curious about other writers. Are we all alone in our little hidey holes? I want to come out and play!
Fortunately a fabulous poet had come onto my radar through a friend, and when I learned she was hosting monthly poetry workshops conveniently held on Zoom, I knew this would be the perfect not-pretentious-place to dip my toe in the Poetry-Writers-Pond.
After a reading of Robert Duncan’s poem Childhood’s Retreat, the Zoom room went silent as we crawled into our hidey holes to write, instructed to draw inspiration from childhood adventures and encouraged to employ dialogue in the final verses.
Initially I felt annoyed and stumped with the writing prompt. This was a big mistake - I write intuitively, not with prompts, what am I doing here!! Over the next 20 minutes an interesting writing process ensued. First, a time-traveling inner vision plopped me back into my childhood in a fun, playful scene. Next, I felt this inner sucking sensation as my awareness drew me from that scene down a literal, dark tree-lined path to an unpleasant memory — the first time I ever got lost. How fitting to go with feeling lost on my first voyage into the Poetry-Writers-Pond! I paused to consider whether I should go deeper into the traumatic event — this isn’t therapy! — but as Lauren says,“Poetry is the affordable therapist we needed all along.”
Then the words came - funny rhymes, here and there, like pebbles guiding me down the path of pain poetry. Ah, there’s the feeling! It’s writing itself, yay! It came together like puzzle pieces and after a final adjustment to the sequence of stanzas I was shocked by what unfolded…
To The Back Path we go! Freedom, Fun, & Adventure in tow! Pine needles crunch Follow my hunch Trust to retrace our steps I’ll follow you back home Chills run up my spine as I recount, line by line To remember, I travel back through space and time. You went right instead of left. Wandered way too far. "But The Helpers brought me home In their car! I’m sorr-" It left a scar.
I have always regretted leaving my playmates to venture out on my own that day. I wished it never happened. This poem helped me realize how absurd it was for me to hold a grudge against my younger self - the fun one eager for adventure - when she truly didn’t mean any harm and didn’t know any better.
How can we know where the path is going, if we’ve never gone down it? Are you content to always operate within the confines of what is seen and known?
Building on my theory that we’re all Poets at heart (we just forgot), I think we’re all curious Adventurers too. And over time, we forget. Perhaps now the forgetting is expedited and cemented by all the alluring ways we are tethered to technology, sinking fast into the Metaverse. Have we forgotten the joy of stepping foot outside to play with no particular goal in mind but to have fun? With nothing buzzing at us but bees!?
Whatever Adventure means to you, I hope you’ll take some time in the days ahead to nurture your curious spirit. I’d love to hear where you go, if you’d like to come back and comment below! 😉
Much to my surprise, I recently stumbled upon an amazing yogi poet -
. I am in awe of what the Universe will deliver on my loneliest days! It is funny she is in a way the total inverse of me - a longtime poet, a mother, and a yoga newbie - yet I feel so connected to her story and body of work. She is in the process of publishing a book of 84 poems called A Poem for Every Pose. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Thank you for the mention. Your passion comes though in every word you write. I can feel your enthusiasm through space and time. Trust your path and keep going!