NaPoWriMo: Day 11

NaPoWriMo: Day 11

Reflection
Manipulated Photograph
by
Elizabeth Crawford

Today we’ll start with a story. When Bill Moyers was interviewing Robert Bly, the writer told him a story about how hard it was to get back into writing poetry after writing and successfully publishing his prose book, Iron John.  Said he got so frustrated the he spoke to his good friend, poet William Safford about it. Safford told him that he must get up each morning and write about the first image that came into his head.

Moyers looked a bit askance and said, “So you did that? Wrote a poem everyday?”

Bly nodded.

Moyers immediately said, “But, one a day? Surely they couldn’t all be really good poems?”

Bly said, “Some days you just have to lower your standards.”

I share the story here, because at least once or twice (sometimes four or five times) during NaPo, I have to remind myself of these comforting words. A willingness to try is a good thing.

Words: Practical, logical, reasonable, absurd, liberal, radical

Suggestions: Try using a short form for today’s piece. No more than 10 lines. Make up your own short form. Be easy on yourself.

Musical Inspiration:

Image is a photograph I took of a sunset, then put through the kaleidoscope app.

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