Creating

How can words express adequately what you feel or experience with your senses -- written in response to a creative writing assignment some years ago

           CREATING

 

Sometimes lines from real life

just fall into your hands:

“I told them not to spray the packasandra!”

(she said opening the gardening bill)

or your fortune cookie proclaims

 

“In the midst of darkness you are the light”

What darkness?  What light? 

Or the little slip inside your chocolate bacio

whispers to you

“Real friendship can be enjoyed in silence.”

Shhh!  Friends communicating… 

 

Or you want your readers to breathe in

“the smells of sea of soil of human sweat”

as Kazantzakis describes his child years

on his beloved Crete.

Or clouds float across a blue sky

like islands in the sea

Or a silvery slate-gray moon disappears

in wisps of fog

 

How do you capture

the sorrowful notes of a lone violin

sighing on a street corner,

colors and shapes that burst inside you,

Cezanne’s earthy apples

Van Gogh’s flowery stars.

 

How to pull all the images and lines

together in a poem

to emerge like Botticelli’s Venus

rising from the foam,

stepping lightly

out of her shell on a pale emerald morning.

Reviews

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

Hmm, one of the best poems I've read about writing. I really like your educational words, I always enjoy expanding my vocabulary. So thank you for helping me to do that. I love your choice of words, "A lone violin," and my favorite "silvery slate-grey moon". This poem is pure poetry. tyfs I enjoyed the read.

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Thanks so much Cyprian, I really appreciated your comments.

[Coyote Poetry]

Hello dear Sherri. Great writers can steal a reader's mind and take them to a better place. I believe the goal of us who love to write. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry and your thoughts.
Coyote

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Thanks Coyote, I really enjoyed your review.

[Coyote Poetry]

Was my pleasure dear Sherri and you are welcome.

[emmajoy]

A word or words, a single thought or a nudge and off we can go, perhaps, maybe.. and that's what you suggest. The mind, imagination, spirit and sight can birth words.. and sometimes, just sometimes, they can help to create - magic or marvel! Your penultimate and final stanza creates such clear visuals.
' .. “the smells of sea of soil of human sweat” - as Kazantzakis describes his child years - on his beloved Crete. ' Memories! Many thank yous, Sherri.

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Thanks Emmajoy for kind words. Right, the act of creation might just be a little nudge, nothing more --
S.

[emmajoy]

Better a little than none at all. :)

[Chris Shaw]

Always interesting to learn where other poets get their inspiration from. With me I am given a line, it sticks in my head like glue and I have to go with it. Your imagery here is fresh and inviting. Thank you especially for transporting me to Greek Islands where I have enjoyed wonderful holidays. Really nice work.

Chris

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Thanks Chris, yes it's either an image or a line that just sticks as you say. Glad to have transported you to the Greek islands, hope to get there myself soon!
S.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I think we often just feel the words rather than really making them up.
I know that is what it is like for me. I get a mere phrase in my head, a line, and then the rest seem to come on their own. From heart and gut...never really the mind.
I like this look into the process of another poet.
Thank you for the glimpse.
j.

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Thanks Jacob. Interesting, those lines that pop up inside your head and you know you want to use them in a poemm. Sometimes the rest just flows but more often it's a struggle (for me).
S.

[mattavelli]

Hello, Sherri! :)
This is a cool look at how you create your poetry, from your interesting sources of inspiration to your vivid imagery. It was a fun read, and inspiring. My favorite parts were your sighing violin and rising Venus.
Thanks for sharing.

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Thanks Matt for your insight. Enjoyed your comment.