Write A Poem A Day

Last week I joined in the first of three online sessions about poetry and writing. The guide is Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, who I found delightful and centered. Her exercises were playfully meaningful. Her wisdom was offered with effusive joy.

Rosemerry is known for a few things. One of those is writing a poem a day for twenty years. I’ve been getting her daily poems for the last month or so. I like her prosy form — sometimes just three or four lines for the day.

It’s good to marvel at this discipline — a poem a day. Yes, indeed. I’ve found in my own writing that it becomes less about making a poem. I just think. And write. And poetic form arises. As they say, “we become what we practice.” We find our harvest format for all of that life flowing.

Rosemerry offered a few points of setup in this class. She offered principles that had me clicking my heels in delight, and I suppose some relief too. She was talking about a few guidelines that help her with her poem a day practice.

1. Promise Myself I Will Write — even if just a bit. It’s a commitment to an identity of writer. And, it’s fulfilling when that identity is honored. Heck, cherished even. Prioritized. Regular play date.
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2. It Doesn’t Have To Be Good; Just True — thank you, thank you. Rosemerry’s line was, “is there juice in it for you?” So good. Sometimes a good poem is the result. Often the energy of writing and exploring is the real fulfillment and gain.
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3. Write For You, Not For Others — heel click again. Yes, of course, we write for others. But to return to what you can’t not write for you — this has a way of bringing gifts to the world. And creating a lot of inner health too.
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4. You Can’t Know The Ending — sweet, right. It means just start writing. Sit before the paper. Or the journal. Or the computer screen. Start somewhere. Follow it with playfulness. Or angst. Or worry. Or delight. Let it arise. Dare to give it expression. Doesn’t have to be your best or only work.

Rosemerry writes and shares a poem a day. Sign on to her stuff. I’m enjoying her offerings.

And write, if that be your calling. Poem a day. Or per week. Or to start the day, and then end the day (thx Saoirse). Start. Commit. Let joy lead you. And your heart. Trust. Maybe it’s not a poem for you. It often is for me. Watch the way that this commitment sweeps you to the middle of the room, dancing in wonder and words.