Poem Topics

Unrequited love.

I'm looking out of my lanai. I see trees that I planted for my benefit, without considering their dreams, desires and aspirations. Are they happy to adorn my house? I don't know. What about the grass? Does it scream when I cut it? Point is: anything is fair game.

LimeyDawg said:

I'm looking out of my lanai. I see trees that I planted for my benefit, without considering their dreams, desires and aspirations. Are they happy to adorn my house? I don't know. What about the grass? Does it scream when I cut it? Point is: anything is fair game.

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I can hear my stinking grass scream-but Mr. Dawg is absolutely correct-scream grass-SCREAM!!!!

In The Triggering Town, Richard Hugo made the suggestion that KTC makes above-- we don't always know. However, when you need to just get started writing something, pick any topic. When you get to the point where you have said what you need to say about that, shift gears and talk about something else entirely, something that even seems unrelated. Trust that, as you continue to work on the poem, you'll find the glue that holds those topics together.

It's strange, but I find that a poem is more about a feeling that grabs me than a topic. I get taken up by a feeling about something or someone, and off I go. Those feelings can be about just about anything, depending on my mood and situation--whether religious, or romantic, or even just silly.

KTC said:

I think, like most poets, you probably find that topics pick you. Whatever happens to be on your mind is what comes out.

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I agree--topics pick you. You just need to give them the opportunity. I find a walk during my lunch hour makes an ideal opportunity. Virtually everything about nature is right there. I try to walk regardless of the weather, so sun, clouds, rain, snow, cold, heat, winter-killed vegetation, summer greenery, etc have the opportunity to find me. I walk in the city, so I give equal opportunity to people, machinery, architecture, and traffic.

Once a topic hits me, I "write" the poem in my mind as I walk, stopping to write down a few notes if I think I've hit upon a perfect line.

(Even if nothing strikes me, I've given myself a refreshing mind-cleansing )

Topics are good for writing prompts, but, for example, my poem about a job, car, etc. isn't necessarily just about a job, car, etc.

Here's a fun one: take a bunch of paint sample cards, select titles from some of the paint colors and use them in a poem.

I have a lot of poems about cars and driving (not stock cars, but the junkers I've driven over the years).