We had a small crowd this time around, but that just meant more time was spent discussing the poetry (which I enjoy). Patrick, Diana, and Don shared their work with us.
Don started out by discussing a poetry group he used to belong to here in Westland, which was run out of a coffee/gift shop, but eventually the shop had to close down. He brought in copies of the anthology they created (though Don didn't add any poems to the anthology, he did add his workman's aesthetic to the construction of the book, which, instead of being held together with binding clips, was held in place by nuts, bolts, and washers. It looked really great). The coffee shop part got me to thinking about having our summer group over at Biggby on Ford Road, since they have a patio (though the patio is right on Ford Road).
Patrick brought in two poems, one a direct response to my email query for blues poems, the other a philosophy of poetry. Both poems were infused with Pat's characteristic humor and subtle subversion ("Boss Man Andy" was referenced in the blues poem). In his "Philosophy" poem, Pat posited: "IT IS HOW IT IS PUT / IT IS HOW IT IS SAID / LITTLE OF TONGUE / MOSTLY OF HEART / BUT / CRAFTED, A BIT ..." We all liked that one a lot.
Diana tried the other exercise I sent out, automatic writing (an old Beat Generation trick to get a lot of writing down with spontaneous energy to it). Diana succeeded at this in creating a work about her grandchildren eating out with her, a great setting for spontaneous, contradictory energy. A favorite line: "she is a tomboy and a tumbler so whatever he throws her way is okay with her."
Don performed two of his works and we talked a fair amount about how to best memorize your poems. Rhyme certainly helps, I suggested, and Don agreed, as most of his poems are written this way (though not his birth dream poem, which he began to recite to show us). The man has an incredible memory.
