Episode 62: An Exploration of Poetic Process

How does a poem emerge? So many ways to do it right, says Rosemerry. But in this episode, we take an intimate and critical look at one poem, “For When People Ask,” and talk about the genesis of the poem, how it changed and transformed, how the metaphors grew and how people responded to it. We also talk about saving first drafts–or not, trusting the process, leaning into uncertainty, letting our creative process be led by honesty, getting our egos out of the way, and, of course, paradox. **For When People AskI want a word that means   okay and not okay,  a word that meansdevastated and stunned with joy.   I want the word that says  I feel it all all at once.The heart is not like a songbird   singing only one note at a time,  more like a Tuvan throat singerable to sing both a drone   and simultaneously  two or three harmonics high above it—a sound, the Tuvans say,   that gives the impression  of wind swirling among rocks.The heart understands the swirl,   how the churning of opposite feelings  weaves through us like an insistent breezeleads us wordlessly deeper into ourselves,   blesses us with paradox  so we might walk more openlyinto this world so rife with devastation,   this world so ripe with joy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emergingform.substack.com/subscribe