Aspiring to inspire!

Inspiration! 

What is it? What drives us to aspire to new tasks, to envelope the degrees of difficulty and overcome the highest heights? To master the navigations of damage control, and be the best at what we can do with what we have? What is inspiration?

Upon playing with my nieces that live so far away at a family reunion this weekend… I saw generations of loved ones past sparkling in their youthful eyes. It was both so endearingly sweet and sad at the same time… yet encouraging to me. The progress of our families in the existence of our times…

                                           —

Poetry can be inspiring. It draws me into its complicated webs weaved by so many poets of different cultures, places, perspectives, and most of all, dreams. This diversity feeds the poet soul, which is both curious and insatiable for information about the human condition.

Inspiring poems take readers in new directions they may have never considered when they hit the target of the heart. They aim to motivate us, direct us, and push us into becoming someone or something better than what we are. Directly, or in metaphor, these poems are the ones we like to quote or keep as a reminder when things go rough…

                                           —

Consider this invitation from “Invictus”, by William Ernest Henley, to remain strong and honorable even in the face of death…:

It matters not how strait the gate

How charged with punishments the scroll

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul

The two last lines echo the sentiment of positive construction, expression, and direction needed to keep one’s head up and stay on the ball no matter what. We go on!

                                           —

What about good old Walt? Not Walt Disney! Walt Whitman… his Song Of Myself continues to bring smiles even to this day to many an English and Literature class with the early morning rays of educational sunshine beaming through those sweet windows…

I celebrate myself, and sing myself, 
  And what I assume you shall assume, 
For every atom belonging to me as

  good belongs to you.

An originality and individual value is within us all, not only to be recognized, but validated and cherished as beautiful as well. Song of Myself says this in so many ways…

    

                                           —

Take the breath of Rudyard Kipling in his monumental inspiration entitled “If”:

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—
   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

This applies not only to “man” but women, children, and all human souls! I live by this fiercely bold and courageous philosophy…. “Yours is the Earth and all upon it, if you can “fill the unforgiving minute”… seize the opportunities laid before you! Take control of your destiny! Shades of Invictus… this is a prevailing theme in inspiring poems.

                                           —

Women have an equal (if not more) of a voice in poetry today than has ever been heard in the history of our prestigious craft. Women such as Rupi Kaur, Maya Angelou, Carol Ann Duffy, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson… transcend emotion into inspirational action… 

Take Wheelsong poet Imelda Zapata Garcia, who continues to encourage a strength and determination that is so original, creative, practical, fierce, and beautiful all at once. This is such an awe inspiring exposition…  “The Gambit”:

Each wrung she stepped upon
led to a faltering height
try as she might, to climb
slipped to the base of the flight
the steps which rose up
from the floor 
led straight to another
in store
Beams of illusion it seems
crept in from high up above 
with promise of hope in a dream
naught much else when
push comes to shove 
What shone at the top of the stairs
a blinding white light on the morn
was merely a glimmer of hope
which climbing that crucible 
had worn 

The promise and glimmer of hope sprinkled within this poem exhibit an unbridled exuberance to overcome the most difficult obstacles, to challenge “the gambit” of life, and come out ahead. It reflects dark and light in such a way as to cover the reader in honest shades of brilliant reality… leaving them forearmed to face the day. Such an amazing inspiration! It’s reassuring to know poets such as Imelda are out there interpreting reality for us!!!

                                          —

This is a blog for writers by writers. So I have to ask… What do you find inspiring? Does it aid in your writing? How so? Please feel free to comment below! I love hearing from you! 

Thank you for reading, and until next time… write on!! And inspire!

Matt Elmore

A review of Into the Grey

Some poets you can identify by the first couple of lines if there is something evident worth reading. A word, a thought, an expression, an image… these reverberate emotions familiar and enjoyable to the reader. 

Brandon Adam Haven is one of those poets. 

He remains a distinctive drafter of demonstrating broad spectrums of human feelings, and the reactions to the often wicked world around him.

                                                         —

Into The Grey is as evocative as its title implies, the haunting cover a picture of an old rustic church. The particular “grey” Haven is referring to is not the grey of the church building, or grey skies… It is the grey of etchings in a tombstone which he refers to in the poem Into The Grey,… the etchings of his own name! This is where the author particularly and instantly hooked me with his vivid introspections.

Wheelsong Books is known for its distinctive flavors of poets, each one vastly different than the other in so many ways. Publisher Steve Wheeler once referred to this variation of styles to me as “Apples to oranges.” Yet, in his wry humor and impeccable talent for turning a phrase, he is also referring to the vivacious fruit of the Wheelsong authors. 

Brandon Adam Haven displays the rich sweetness of this fruit in his book, as well as the bitter taste of doubt and despair.

Reflections of joy reverberate sweetly throughout poems such as O’er the Hills which lightly begins “O’er the hills of the jolly green Deep into its calm gentle pasture, Doth a black mountain overlooking foreseen, As all is merry, under the sweet evergreen”.  

This is also subtly well crafted in A Joyous Life, “I shudder within to shed my cracked skin For beauty is hidden in plain sight And so are the days jubilee What a joyous life.”

Many struggles are addressed as well. Themes of helplessness, although melancholy on the surface, take a turn at redemption, if not validation,… for life itself. Quietly addressing a friend’s slow demise is seen in Choosing Death, “Please let me help you to climb from this dread… So your days may brighten instead of choosing death.” 

Childhood abuse, depression, addiction, and homelessness are some of the topics the author explores and bounces unsuspected reactions off… like this line from The Quiet Woods Of Winter, “Why was it me, who had to suffer all of this instead of the mean, judgmental and happy other kids?”

Love sweet love does not escape the authors notice. His is a discreet creative rendering, embellishing romantic notions such as this one in his poem Love, “She is my angel, and my greatest wish, Is to fulfil her life everyday with abundant and lasting bliss. The sweetest taste is from her precious lips, and I will forever treasure her every kiss”

                                                       —

Brandon lives in Rockford Illinois, not too far from where my mother’s hometown is. I recently communicated a number of things with him. I found he is a most humble and sincere young man. His big heart and sense of empathy is immediately obvious. A musician and poet, he exudes the kind of soul that an introspective poet of his caliber should possess, and does so in abundance.

His book is one of hard knocks and lessons learned from a vivid window of learned experience. Many poems dive deep within the depths of despair with a voice that is not only desperate, but also almost lost.  This is illustrated in Silence, “In silence I reside alone weeping this snowbound night staring out my window to the snowy white reflecting how empty are the dreams of life.”

The Outcast portrays his outsider character so well when he cries out “Well away from the laughter and the past. For I am the vermin of the world, I am the outcast.”

There is an effervescence about his dismay that is not only relatable, but alluring. It is through a clever wordplay that he is able to transcend the maudlin into something tangible and useful for all of us. This is encapsulated by these weighted phrases from One Day, “Chastised by mirth ascended at his core. The hour of grim hovers near, We stand together to wipe each other’s tears.”

                                                       —

Into The Grey stands on its own as a poignant perspective on what it’s like to stand on the edge and be able to jump back before it’s too late. The wisdom of knowing better is so much more evident once the wound has been set in so deep. One does not forget. In that very vein, once you read Haven’s brilliant poems, you will not forget this book.

Matt Elmore

You can purchase your copy of Brandon Adam Haven's Into the Grey through Amazon - all links are here on the Wheelsong Books website.

Villanelle

A villanelle is a French verse form consisting of five three-line stanzas (known as tercets) and a final, four line stanza (known as a quatrain). 

The first and third lines of the first stanza are repeated alternately in the following stanzas. 

One of the most famous villanelles was written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Look at the format. and pay attention to the repeated lines:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieve it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

It's a very clever poem, written about the passing of the poet's father. You might feel inspired to write a villanelle yourself. It's certainly a challenge if you've never tried before, but have a go ... and you may surprise yourself. Ultimately, you will have learnt a new poetry skill and you never know where it may lead you!

Please feel free to post your villanelle poems in the comments box below and I will comment on them.

Steve Wheeler

Image from Pxfuel used under a Creative Commons licence

Where are all the young poets?!

Where are all the young poets?!

In my duties as poetry moderator for Invisible Poets and Wheelsong Poets Groups, I have not seen many young poets posting poetry, and this disturbs me. I see them as members, but many remain too shy to either comment or post their youthful songs.

This troubles me, because someone has to carry the torch. However, it also invigorates me at the same time, because I believe they are READING the poems in the groups. Silently taking it all in. 

As a former teacher, I always found that the quietest students often turned out to be the brightest. Why? Because they were LISTENING.

Poetry knows no age, no race, no class, no restrictions! Young children continue to be fascinated by Doctor Seuss, read the works of the classics in English classes, and even beyond in college. 

Social media continues to work its magic as well. These youthful souls are taking in the very poems everyday poets write in poetry groups. And that encourages me…

                                    —

In Worcester Massachusetts, 19 year old Adael Mejia is working his performance poetry magic in a hotel lobby wearing a crazy coat of recycled colors past his knees in a ski mask… now there’s some performance poetry for you!! 

“If it wasn’t for social media – if it wasn’t for being able to post myself and people being able to find out about me through their phone – I would be performing to my mom still,” Mr. Mejia says.

Now this is one young man after my own heart. He is leading the charge for us all. Ever heard of him? Neither have I! Until now… although there are others much more fortunate to HAVE been heard…

                                     —

Twenty four year old Amanda Gorman read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the Untied States presidential inauguration for Joe Biden. Not bad for a young poetess! 

In addition to that, she was also the first U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate, not to mention she read one of her poems at the NFL Super Bowl in 2021. She rocked it too! So talented… She appeared in Time magazine, … interviewed by First Lady Michelle Obama. Her poems concern struggles with identity and historic culture in our modern society, and cultivate a positive unity that needs to be heard by our youth TODAY.

Ms. Gorman’s poem also caused some scandal this past May when it was banned from libraries under middle school age in Florida for alleged indirect hate speech and child indoctrination. How far we have to go…! 

Yet, if not for Ms. Gorman’s poem, this would not even be in a discussion about cultural equity. Bravo, Amanda!

                                     —

Youthful poet Cindy Juyoung Ok was recently named winner of the 2023 Yale Younger Poets Prize, a prestigious honor that aims to bring greater public attention to America’s most promising new poets. Hers is a voice of quirky observations, amazing wordplay, and generally growing as an individual in a massive opinion-oriented society. Another youthful soul yearning to be heard…

                                     —

It is amazing to think what kinds of poems are out there brewing in the minds of our planets youth… perspectives I could never hope to have because I come from a different generation. How many generations had their own distinctive poetic voice can you think of? This one does as well, and then some.

Let me know if there are any young poets out there that you can think of! Trust me… they are out there… We all remain young at heart! Let’s remember that vulnerable yet invincible feeling and encourage a young poet today…

Matt Elmore

References:

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2022/0603/New-voices-in-poetry-Thank-lockdowns-and-social-media

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/amanda-gorman-on-another-stage-brings-poetry-to-super-bowl-amanda-gorman-country-poetry-spotlight-one-b1798951.html

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/24/1177877340/amanda-gorman-poem-restricted-miami-school

https://news.yale.edu/2023/02/23/artist-impulse-shake-things-wins-2023-yale-younger-poets-prize

Image from Rawpixel Creative Commons License