Poetic Reflection Week 20: A Poet You Must Know and More...

Image Credit: Waystationone, his new kitten

Tell me about your blog, the name, what does it mean to you?

 

My personal blog is http://www.waystationone.com Funny, waystationone was the name of a cafe/coffeehouse I once wanted to open. A waystation is a place to stop along the journey, and one, i guess i wanted to be the first stop. smiles. we are all on this journey through life and need to take time to appreciate it...so that is where it came from.

When did you start blogging?

 

I started blogging in October of 2007 at the request of a friend. I really did not want to start a blog but he really encouraged me (twisted my arm) and so I started. The first six months I was figuring it out, barely had any readers, but if you look at what i was posting that makes sense.

Your first poem? Remember?

 

Yes, I do. After the first six months I started experimenting with story telling and mostly wrote prose for a year until a commenter (Kat Mortgenson AKA Poetikat) challenged me to write poetry. She thought my style of prose translated well and so i wrote my first poem.

 

5 hours

 

Today.
I sit in the aisle,
between the rows of beautiful thoughts
in a crowded bookstore
defeated.

Tight weave green carpet
pushes roots into
the soft flesh of my posterior,
pulling me further into itself.
Metal shelves,
cooled by the conditioned air,
massage my neck and back
with rigid fingers.

My head rests against
other people's wisdom,
hoping osmosis
will bring relief.

I want not to care.

Events of the day
play back like a bass drum
between my temples,
tension rising like hot steam,
twinkling under
yellow florescence.

Anger wrapped in exasperation
needles its twisting way
out constricted pores
in silent epiphanies.

One of those days.

There are questions
I can not answer.
There are things
I can not change.
There is help
I can not give.
There is pain
I can not bear.

Until I realize,
I don't have to.

I find joy in breathing,
for a moment,
before rising,
striding out the door
to face the day again
because I do.
Care.

What are your writing inspirations?

 

Life mainly. Most of my poems come from something I have experienced. There is so much poetry just waiting to be found. Everything has a story. There is a poem in everything.

 

As far as style, I have never really had any training when it comes to poetry. I kind make it up as I go along. I was writing poetry for about 9 months before I started reading poets, outside of the blog world. About a year ago, I started getting into slam poetry and really studying how people construct poems artistically and how words sound when spoken. That made a huge difference in the way I write.

When did you start writing poetry? Do you write fiction as well?

 

I do write prose, as that is where I started. And I do write fiction. It allows me to explore another creative side. I grew up writing stories. My favorite genre is actually soft horror, kinda Stephen King material, based in reality but with a mysterious twist. Things that sit just at the edge of reality. 

Usually I will write these for Magpie Tales (http://www.magpietales.blogspot.com) 

or The Tenth Daughter of Memory (http://www.thetenthdaughterofmemory.blogspot.com) 

I would say my strength is in the descriptions and details that I include. My goal is to put the reader in the scene.

Do you have a favorite author or poet?

 

I have many. Stephen King. Shaun Tan. Nami Mun. Jodi Picoult. For fiction.

 

For poetry: Langston Hughes. Saul Williams. Taylor Mali. Bukowski.

 

Favorite quote?

 

It doesn't matter whether you're selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or 'How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down.' That doesn't make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are - just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore; it's a pitch. And you're not a human being; you're a marketing rep. (The Big Kahuna)

what's your plan for your future writing?

hopefully i get to keep writing. i love writing. i have been published a few times now and have a poetry book coming out soon with many of the people I worked with at One Stop Poetry.

 

As I said earlier, we recently opened dVerse Poets Pub and have had a tremendous response. For me this is a way to give back and encourage other poets. If someone wants to write, I want to see them excel at it, I want to water that seed. That is what dVerse is all about. So, I want to see that continue to grow and see more lives touched.

Any advice to poets who wish to start their own poetry community or blogging community?

 

It is a lot of work. Know that up front. If you want to really be a community it means investing in others. Build a team, you can not do it all yourself. Make sure you know who you are working with, don't just pick the best poets you know, find ones that have talents beyond writing and will get their stuff done on time or early. Look for creative thinkers and listen to them. Let them own a piece of it so they can play and create themselves. And check your motives, because it is not about you.

PS: Well, this is a repost, but I am happy doing it, because invaluable opinions are always something we haunt and need to preserve and share...hope that you enjoy reading this.

Additional and the most Updated Information on Waystationone and his poetry community:

According to Claudia at DeVerse Poets Pub, the poetry community is nominated for one shorty award on twitter.com on art, you shall vote for them if you have a twitter account and have been a fan to their poetry site, Thanks a lot.

quote of the announcement on  January 5, 2012 at 5:04 pm

 

"smiles..finally made it..was busy with drinking eggnog and eating cake..smiles..and really excited about the opportunity – can’t wait to see what you’re coming up with.. also excited about the shorty award nominations – and when you’re on twitter and like what we do – you can vote for us by following the below link "

http://shortyawards.com/dVersePoets

Check out their poetry site and join here:

http://dversepoets.com/

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