Each poem, like a child, emerges uniquely. And like children some are intended while others are somewhat of a surprise. Whichever the case may be, aside from the rare poem that comes out complete in one uninterrupted emergence, poems for me, are more of a labor and midwifing of an experience that develops throughout the process. Each one is a particular relationship reflecting some aspect of being, human or otherwise. Each respective examination potentially brings me closer to the essence of the other being, form or idea. My essence is in some way discovering and uncovering its essence, uniquely perceived and expressed through this/my individuality. The unique source of the other in some way potentially brings me closer to the Source.
This is an intimacy that requires my kindling and tending. It is a wedding of one individual consciousness with another consciousness, unearthing the common ground, finding the way Home. Each one of us, who takes this on, of course does this so very uniquely. And maybe in the sharing of our work be it poetry, fiction, non-fiction, visual art, music, we might awaken something latent in the reader, viewer, listener, that will be of value to them.
In art or work of any kind, we can distill the experience into process and product. There is malleability in both process and product. In poetry the fluid mind and heart are the shaping forces. They are not only shaping but being shaped in the process, each moment uniquely impresses itself in the mix. Changing and editing is often on-going, as each time I reread a piece I am different and I may hear it in some new way. At some point, I need to stop and regard the earlier version of the self who wrote the poem 10 years before.
I realize the “I” as a uniquely formed, lively vessel through which Life/Spirit pervades. Ever-changing forces of Life are differently received and on-going. The particular color and mood of what information arrives interests me and at the same time, the shaping force within me is not always indifferent. The process in the moment is also a relationship between what has been/is and what is newly being and becoming. There can be a tussle. Resolution most often happens on the deeper level, the realm of changelessness. That is the Source that I seek to graze and feed from and most hopefully share with others. This underlying intention is not evident or even conscious in many poems but as I reflect on the overall arc of my work, the impulse is toward growing unity while savoring the extraordinariness of each unique expression of the whole through words.