How does a poem begin?
Images are the source of most poems for me. A heron catching a fish, a kettle of turkey vultures circling, a snapping turtle’s snout emerging from the river. Sometimes phrases or scraps of thoughts occur to me while walking through my town, driving, or taking a shower. Night-long ideas occur too while trying to fall asleep/while sleeping/waking with insomnia. In the morning I have to let those spill.
With a background as an artist–I majored in both Studio Art and English–I have a combination of interests. Often I write ekphrastic poems, which is poetry in conversation with artwork. I also consider dreams a source of imagery and frequently incorporate them into poems. Nature photography is another hobby of mine and I find those images to be an inspiration. It is easy for me to connect emotions and my family relationships with imagery. Exploration of why the image stands out makes the process of poem-making such a joy.
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