Our craft article for March is from PSM board member, Dave Jibson, who takes us on a dive into Korean Sijo. First appearing in 14th century Korea, Sijo is longer than Haiku and goes beyond imagery into story telling. We think you’ll like playing around with this one. Maybe you can bring one or two to the Spring meeting. Read the article HERE.
Here’s an excellent example from member Ginny Grush.
As we tick off the days through summer, here is a writing exercise that uses psychological and philosophical writing to inspire us. Read the excerpt and use its tone, message or phrasing as a seed in writing your poem.
“If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not “washing the dishes to wash the dishes.” What’s more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can’t wash the dishes, the chances are we won’t be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future—and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh (Book: The Miracle of Mindfulness)
Pick a mundane task and write about it as if it is the most important and life-giving task in the world, a task that will change your life for the better.
Good luck.
David James
As we begin winter in earnest, I’d like to share some writing exercises that use psychological and philosophical writing to inspire us. Read the excerpt and use its tone, message or phrasing as a seed in writing your poem.
“There is a beauty in the letting go, in the surrender to the unknown, to the inevitable. It is a beauty that is often overlooked, overshadowed by the fear of loss, of change. But it is a beauty that is nonetheless real, and it is a beauty that is worth embracing. When we hold on too tightly, we choke the life out of what we love. We become like the vines that strangle the trees, the weeds that suffocate the flowers. We must learn to loosen our grip, to allow things to flow, to change, to be.” ~Heidi Priebe (Book: This Is Me Letting You Go)
Write a poem in which you LET GO of someone or something you love, something you want to keep forever. Surrender in your writing “to the unknown.”
Good luck and have fun! Please stay warm, too.
David James
Today I”m going to jot a poem down without a lot of thinking. I’m going to choose one word (probably something nature but for sure a noun) and use it as much as seems prudent in the poem. Then I’m going to the dictionary like Harryette Mullen and look up my noun. When I find out, I’m going to count 7-10 nouns away in either direction and find a substitute for the chosen noun. I’ll go back to my poem, substitute it and see if there are any interesting lines or phrases that work. Perhaps it changes everything for the better. Perhaps it’s stupid. You won’t know til you try.
From Western Wind by Mason and Nims: Write a poem about someone you love, using a list of his or her faults as a basis for praise.
Write about something that changes over time. Could be you and an attitude. Could be a chair gathering snow. Could be the deer settling down. Could be your car rusting away.
From friend Eben Gering: Write a poem about a carnival ride. Then get in a brawl with it at the end. ( I don’t exactly know what that brawl part is about, but carnival rides: what a rich source!) Thanks, Eben.
Read the poem “Your Birthday in the California Mountains” by Kenneth Rexroth. Write an elegy the way he does, misleading the reader that the subject of the elegy is still alive. Address the poem to the person who died. Keep it simple, clear, straightforward, and honest. From In the Palm of Your Hand by Steve Kowitt.
From Julia Cameron’s The Right to Write.Set aside a half hour:
Settle yourself in to write. First take ten minutes to describe where you are. (I’m in my office and furious.) Try to capture your mood, the room, anything delightful or interesting that catches your attention. Number your paper from 1-5. Very quickly list five things that would be interesting to write about. Choose one topic. What would you write about it? Why would you write about it? Spend five or so minutes writing about that.Do not go for Art, capital A, or even writing, capital W. Think of this instead as word play. Do not worry about being deep or sensible or practical.
Think about a drive you often take. What is your favorite view/crossroads/mile-maker? Why? Are you going or coming back? Does it make a difference? I recommend mile markers 48 and 56 on westbound I- 94, sheep and orchards, respectively.
Poetry Society of Michigan 