T he seed of a poem lay dormant in my heart. Mostly always true, and usually that seed is planted by something I’ve seen, maybe heard. That then sparks recall of feelings, maybe other visuals, related feelings. I string them together, editing until an emotional thread appears — then I translate that visually to a poem.
Visuals are one of my favorite inspirations. Writing to a preconceived form is repressive to me. I create visual impact to elicit emotions. Poetic forms are secondary in my writing. When chasing a form, I build a puzzle — reshaping my true poem so it fits.
My fundamental purpose for writing poetry, is the same when writing song lyrics — which for me came first, at age 16. I want people to visualize with me, to have them feel something emotionally. Joy, sorrow, love, anger, loneliness, recollection, longing, comfort — all are good.
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rob kistner © 2023
Poetry at: dVerse
