A voice to be heard. Specifically, my voice to be heard this week. I’m going to the Huddersfield Literature Festival later this week to try out some of my poetry on unsuspecting people at a spoken word event. I’m new to this, so have butterflies already. But I’m hoping they fly in the same formation when it’s my turn to speak.
A rhyme in time?
I work on my poetry on the days when I don’t teach to try to keep up with my writing. It’s not easy. Just because you have time, doesn’t mean you feel like writing in that time. Time doesn’t always rhyme…as it were.
There was a great article in Poetry News called ‘Trumpets, aspirin and the draft’ by Tim Relf, which gathered together tips from writers, editors and publishers, about writing. It’s well worth a read.
It’s a useful reference for when I need to feel okay about not writing. Those days when you don’t quite feel like putting pen to paper. Or hands to keyboard. It’s great for making me realise that a poem does not have to be right first time. You can draft and re-draft. And I’m testing this on Thursday at the spoken word event where I will be a voice to be heard – among others.
A voice that’s ready for reading aloud
My poems are ready and printed out. They are ready for reading aloud. A voice to be heard. I’m excited about meeting other poets, and about talking to them about their poetry and writing. My poems are written to be read, but also to be read aloud. And I want to do more of this. Yes, I’m nervous, but I’m going to give it a go. Carpe diem and all…
Here’s a snippet of what’s to come when I get brave enough to be a voice that is heard:
Just me
my board
and the sea.
Stop/as I reach/atop/the dune//Stare/at the vast/cobalt glass/before me//Watch/the breeze/punctuate the blue/with white//Smile/in anticipation/of the arcs/of water/before me//Bringer of joy
I’ll let you know how it goes in the next blog. Wish me luck.