Poet Nancy Wood

I was talking to a former student a few weeks ago.  Somehow we got onto the subject of my paintings in college.  One was a fabric collage with paint and dream catchers attached.  It was based on one of my favorite poems by Nancy Wood.  It is called The Four Sisters of Everlasting Beauty.

But I have another poem of hers that is my absolute favorite.

Why the Great Spirit Made Hands

The Great Spirit made hands before he made
     eyes or feet, so people could learn to hold
     one another. Hands were useful for touching
     the hard ribs of trees or the soft tongues of flower petals.
     Hands discovered the dry uncertainty of snakes, the
     slipperiness of fish, the mystery of feather. Hands found
Other hands and clasped together to embrace the oncoming world,
     unafraid. Two pairs of hands, burned by fire and cooled
     by water, felt their way along unfamiliar paths and then
     reached out and found they needed one another
     to make a home in the wilderness of their minds.

Poet- Octavio Paz

Today's poem is one of my favorites from Octavio Paz.  It it from a collection of poems called This Same Sky.

A Tree Within

A tree grew inside my head.
A tree grew in.
Its roots are veins,
its branches nerves,
thoughts its tangled foliage.
Your glance sets it on fire,
and its fruits of shade
are blood oranges
and pomegranates of flame.
                        Day breaks
in the body's night.
There, within, inside my head,
the tree speaks.
              Come closer--can you hear it?


This next poem is from his book Selected Poems.

Writing

I draw these letters
as the day draws its images
and blows over them
                              and does not return

National Poetry Month- Shel Silverstein

I thought in honor of National Poetry Month some of the Mizzles will become hipster poets reading their favorite poetry.  Molly is first up with her favorite poet, Shel Silverstein.  She has picked out a few as inspiration for us writers from his book Falling Up.

Writer Waiting
Oh this shiny new computer--
There just isn't nothing' cuter.
It knows everything the world ever knew.
And with this great computer
I don't need no writin' tutor,
'Cause there ain't a single thing that it can't do.
It can sort and it can spell,
It can punctuate as well.
It can find and file and underline and type.
It can edit and select,
It can copy and correct,
So I'll have a whole book written by tonight
(Just as soon as it can think of what to write).

Hmmm... I wonder if my computer will write my book?  That would be nice!

The Voice
There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
"I feel that this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong."
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What's right for you--just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.

I'm looking forward to spring break coming up so I can carve out time to focus on writing, or perhaps get caught up in the PB dummy book challenge.  I'm so far behind.  As for the 12x12x12 writing challenge, I've been doing well with writing a rough draft each month.  I am still trying to figure out a technique or routine that works for my writing.  I read that writers should go to a different location to write.   I have been taking a notebook with me when I go early to my yoga classes.  It has been those 15 minutes on Mondays that seem to have a magical writing moment for me.  It probably has to do with how calm and peaceful I feel.

Where are your favorite writing spots?  What techniques do you use to inspire your writing?