El Paso: The Tumblewords Project: On Poetry

Rustavi, Caucasus Georgia. May 2012

Born in 1995, founded by Donna Snyder, the Tumblewords Project is a writing workshop that occurs every Saturday at the Memorial Park branch of the El Paso Library. Each week, a workshop leader suggests writing prompts to the participants; the prompts usually follow a theme the leader chooses for the session. Everyone is enthusiastically welcomed. If you're just passing through El Paso and happen to be in town on a Saturday afternoon, go! 

My related posts here.


One week, the writing prompt was to write about thoughts on poetry.

Here's what I wrote (edited a bit for this post).

Poetry

A bore a snore. Often
Crashing.
Slumbering.
Numbing.

Saccharine, sing song.
So wannabe
PROFOUND.

I nod my head and
Mutter mmm, yeah, so good. And
Look erudite. Look creative. Look linked in.

Sometimes, though.

What's that?

That twist of idea? That flutter
of feather tickling my cheek
Making me turn my head
To listen, look more.

That cascade knocking me
Down with gut pain
Gushing out of the
Poet's mouth, taking my
Breath away.

That flash flood of warm brown water
Pushing past, exposing

Bleached bone
Salted and sanded, scooped out from
Where it had been buried before the surge swept through.

Poetry.

Mostly harmless.



In Between


In between the spaces of words
White space for aesthetes?

Or things unsaid?

Or things shouted, but into a
White hole that swallows sounds.

Or to be heard, but
Only
If the reader can see what's
Not there.


###

Yeah, well. I'm not in love with it.