Common Ground

Common Ground

Are you like me?

You want to be...more

but you can't find

     the voice

     the words

that fit the desire?

Do you find yourself

     awake

     listening

in the morning hours

when no one is up

     but you

And there are characters

crying out

     for space

     and time

to be real?

Do you reflect

alone in the dark

on memories

wishing
to preserve forever
     in lines
     and paragraphs
the events of your life?


Are you afraid
no one will understand?
     Me too...


I write a lot of poems about writing and writers. Down through the years, in workshops I have conducted and groups I have been a part of, I find many writers are afraid to put their work out there for the public to see. I guess there are many reasons for that: fear of rejection, worry that no one will understand what they are saying or simply their writer's self esteem is low. All of these are legimate reasons, we are all hesitant about those things.


It took me a long time to realize how many writers were like me and it took me even longer to convince many of my writer friends that their work is just as good as the next one's. Why is that? Anything written from the heart, written with the intent of preserving in words the days of thier life, is worth sharing. It amazes me how many people come to me and say, "It almost seems that you looked into my heart when you wrote this poem". We are never alone in our suffering or our joy. Others have experienced the same emotions we have. The only difference is, as writers, we put it down it words and are in many ways obligated to share it so we can help others know they are not alone.


Common Ground was written for one of those writers I came across in a writing workshop weekend led by Ed McClanahan many years ago. I cannot remember her name, but we were talking while getting a cup of coffee and she said she was afraid no one would understand her work. I wrote this poem in response to that conversation. I never had the chance to give it to her because the poem was written at home after that weekend. Maybe someday she will run across Scraps and realize the poem was written for her.


Are you afraid? Don't be. Writers want to read what you have written, readers need to read what you have written. Share it and share it with pride and confidence. Let me hear your story of fear. Have you overcome that fear, tell me how you did it. If you haven't let's talk.


I love writers and I want to share with you.

I want to hear from you. Tell me your process. Ask me questions. Tell me what you like or dislike about any of these poems.

Introduction

Welcome to what I hope becomes an inspiration to all who stop by and me.

A few months ago I released a book called Scraps and I hope after reading a few of these blogs you will get a better understanding of the poems included in the book and the writer.

What I intend to do is pick a poem at random and write about it. When I wrote it, why I wrote it and maybe even what I intended for you to get from it. However, I won't always do that because I want you to decide for yourself what the intent was. If I have done my job, you will have some emotional reaction to each one. Maybe it will be happiness, saddness or sometimes even anger. But, if you have no emotional reaction, then, I have failed.

The book is called Scraps because it has  no theme. Many of the poems go together but were actually just picked up from a pile and put in the book. Some you will see in future books and some will stand alone in this one book.

If you are interested in buying the book it can be found on Amazon... what can't be found on Amazon? But that is a subject for a completely different blog someday.

So, beginning tomorrow or very soon we will look at poetry and maybe share some thoughts on the whole process of writing.

I look forward to seeing you often









Iwant to hear from you. Tell me your process. Ask me questions. Tell me what you like or dislike about any of these poems.