MARCH

MARCH

Trees awaken from winter's slumber.
Silver gray clouds streak cross the blue landscape.
Warm southern winds loosen the grip of winter's chill
March is winter's last hurrah.

Tulips, enchanted by the sun's embrace,
Escape their dark prison
March blasts one last mighty roar
Only to fall silent in spring's serenade.

Taking A Break From Posting

I am taking a break from posting. I'm still active though. I have written a number of poems. I am working on a short story and a prose piece. Last night I read some poems by Robinson Jeffers and will do  more research on his life. 

Looking ahead, April will be an active month as I will concentrate on completing my first chapbook. I'm also considering a number of topic for an essay that I have in mind. I won't be totally absent and I'll keep you posted on my comings and goings.

Reading Other Writer's Work

Reading the work of other authors is a staple part of my education. What I enjoy most is that it draws me a picture of what the particular author's world is. I can't look at the world of Edgar Allan Poe from a twenty-first century mind but from someone who lives in the nineteenth century. 

Each author has his or her own style. I learn something from whoever I read. When I read Theodore Roethke's  poems, I was struck by the clarity in his understanding of nature. His love of nature connected with me personally. In contrast I found the work of Jack Kerouac a bit disjointed. This was how he wrote, yet I find his work invaluable. 

I don't criticize another author's writing because another person may like it. It's important to try and walk in the author's shoes. I did this with Kerouac and came away with a greater understanding of him as a person. Learning from anyone and anything can prove invaluable. 

I suggest that you read as many different authors can you can. Try reading their biography then their work. Try a different genre. I'm sure that your work will benefit from this as mine has.

Much Writing

I have been writing quite a bit the past few weeks. It's mostly poetry but have written a story and articles in between. My wife asks me how I come I can write poems out of thin air. There are ideas all around. I grab them like apples off a tree. I carry a pen and notebook and write them down. Below are a couple of poems I've written recently.



Writing should not be an exercise in futility but a labor of love.


I stopped and listened to the wind whisper in my ear.


EMPTY TERMINAL

The corridor is empty.
All the shops are closed
I slowly pirouette on the slick waxed floor.
There are no crowds rushing everywhere.
The race which began many miles ago
Has finished in this deserted terminal.
My sojourn has brought me to the starting line again.
I walk out, my sandals slapping my souls the only sound. 
  

WORDS OF WISDOM

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.



~Lao Tzu

Classic Movies

I am huge fan of old classic movies. I even like the black and white films of years ago. A theater which features independent films will show two films that I watched. Fritz Lang's M is a moody film, suspenseful with many twists. Peter Lorre is one of the finest character actors of all time, as he played the role of the murderer.

The other movie is Lost Weekend with Ray Milland.  He played the part of an alcoholic writer going through  three days of drinking. This film was made in 1945.

If you are in the New York City, you can get information at:

 www.filmforum.com

Book Of Quotes

I am currently writing a book of my favorite quotes. I never realized that had so many. If so one asked me which is my absolute favorite, that would be very very difficult. There are so people who have so many quotes and others who have only a few. There are those quote which really touch my heart. These are the ones that I'm writing down.


We have not inherited the world from our forefathers-we have borrowed it from our children.

~Kashmiri Proverb

WORDS OF WISDOM

Earth laughs in flowers.


~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Residents Of Inwood

The play 'Showing Up' will be featured the last Tuesday of every month at the Inwood Academy at 108 Cooper Street. For further information check on the website below.






http://uptheater.org/newindex.shtml

I walked past this building last week. It was once the Hotel Marlton, or Marlton Hotel. It was a single room occupancy hotel home to struggling  artists, writers, and actors. One of those writers was Delmore Schwartz (1913-1966), a poet, critic, and teacher. I read acouple of his books of poetry and his novel, Screeno. Today, this building is a dormitory for art student at a nearby art school.

Editing

I have been writing quite a bit this week. Poems, short stories and commentaries.  Each time I edit and review a poem I see ways to make it better. Same goes with the stories and commentaries. We all believe that we can write better.

Editing is very important because we want to connect with our readers. It's amazing how one word or one sentence can change the whole piece of writing. Editing can be painstaking but it's worth it in the long run. The poem in my last posting went through several rewrites until I felt comfortable with it. A piece of writing can be shortened or made longer. It may need a whole rewrite.

The lesson I learn from editing is that of perseverence and patience. More mistakes are made because people are in a hurry. That can mean the diference between a good story and a bad one. A few changes can make a good poem into a masterpiece. It's very subtle but very true.

Finally, look at editing as a vocation. It is another phase of writing that can improve other aspects. For example, when I edit sometimes  refer back to the dictionary or a thesaurus. Some words have many different meanings. I like using a word similar to one most commonly used. As you can see there's value in everything. Editing is one of many.