Tuesday 4 August 2009

Verbal diarrhoea

The building work is gathering pace - stoves are being fitted, oak shelves fastened above, air full of the dust it is causing, dog absolutely loving the freedom of going in and out as she likes (but she keeps pushing her ball against the builder's toe in an effort to get him to play!) So you can see that really it is not conducive to writing a blog. My computer sits in the hallway - today a main thoroughfare.
However, tomorrow it is our Writers' Group meeting. We meet in the local Quaker Meeting House, in a room which is the most peaceful room I have ever been in. It has an aura of quietness and is perfect for our purposes. Tomorrow is an Open Manuscript Meeting and I have a poem to read. It is far too wordy - but then if it wasn't then there would have been no point in writing it, if you see what I mean. I shall now endeavour to copy and paste it here. If I manage it, then that is another computer skill I heave learned. Have a good day!

Verbal Diarrhoea.

I write.
My pen
scratches on the surface;
words - meaningless,
mellifluous,
tumble from my brain,
where they have raged
and rattled through the night.
Faster, sharper, more urgent
than my hand to write,
they scramble for the page.

Soft, seductive phrases;
barbed, brittle words;
questions;
pedantic and persuasive prose;
I give them life.
Black spider-trails
on the page,
they tumble on
until my brain has emptied
countless crannies
stuffed to bursting
with what I want to say -
to give the light of day
to words.

And all the while
the poet
is considering a word.
He sees
its shape.
He hears
its resonance.
But most of all he studies
its inherent multiplicity of meaning.

20 comments:

Eryl said...

Now that has instant resonance, great!

Jinksy said...

Loved your weaving of words - never mind grass!

Rachel Fox said...

Not sure about the 'he'. Is there any way round it?
x

Rachel Fox said...

Unless of course you have a particular 'he' in mind...but still...
x

Heather said...

That's a wonderful poem Weaver and all the more so for the conditions under which it was written. I am sure your group will receive it well. Hope the builders will soon be finished - at least they seem to be making good progress.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Lovely poem. You should consider giving a reading for the builders. They are a bit of a captive audience and it would be fun to see their reaction juxtaposed with the reaction of other writers.

I agree with jinksy - you are a wonderful weaver of words.

Dave King said...

I can't improve on Jinksy's comment: you are a remarkable weaver of words. I'd be interested to know whether the surrounding chaos inspired you or made things more difficult. Either way: fantastic.

Kim Palmer said...

Now I'm not at all sure about the grass Pat, but you are definitely a weaver of words and magic :)

Anonymous said...

What magic you weave with words. Such talent. I am envious!

Unknown said...

You are talented at all the "weaving" you do, whether it is blog ideas, words, grass, phoography, process art computer skills or inspirational stories. Your poem is thought provoking and I like the way it reads. Thanks for posting, very skillful!

Tess Kincaid said...

Yes, you are a word weaver! I love "Black spider-trails on the page".

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

I can't improve on all the comments already made. It reads very well indeed; I like it and am sure your writing group will too!

Pondside said...

After that I am almost wordless.
Quite amazing, for all the reasons given above, and then simply because it is just plain good.

Hildred said...

Oh, wonderful, Weaver - you have a great feeling for words and create lovely poetic tapestries.

Jane Moxey said...

I know I'm a bit behind with my comment, but just wanted you to know that I read your poem out loud and it was really fun to recite! I do hope your group enjoy it as much as I did!

Golden West said...

You have a wonderful way with words, Weaver. And I sympathize with your construction project - we've been installing new windows and repainting some interiors and it seems like an endless process of moving "stuff" from place to place! No doubt he finished projects (yours and mine) will be totally worth the effort!

Woman in a Window said...

I like to think of you standing so still in that Quaker room reading out a poem entitled Verbal Diarrhoea. Somehow, to me, that is so contrary and yet so right. I enjoyed it greatly. I was just working on words last night in a similar fashion. It is in us all, isn't it?

The Weaver of Grass said...

I read the poem at Writers and we discussed Rachel's point about "he" the poet - and in fact the poem scans better by leaving it out - so that the last stanza reads:-
And all the while
the poet
is considering a word -
sees its shape,
hears its resonance,
But most of all studies
its ultiplicity of meaning.
Better, don't you think?

Rachel Fox said...

Yes!

x

BT said...

I loved the poem and agree completely that it is much imporved by omitting the 'he'. Well done for a super poem. I know what it's like to have that chaos Weaver. We've had it since last NOVEMBER!