poetry – Page 3 – Chris Bevens

Selling Rare Books

Life seems to come in fits and starts. I doubt my experience is unusual in that regard. I seem to uncover truths, meaningful to me in certain moments of clarity, which lead me to a deeper understanding (or the illusion of a deeper understanding) of self; moments like lighthouses defining just enough of the worldContinue reading “Selling Rare Books”

On Writing Poems – part 3 – stealing

Stealing. In part one I wrote about poetry as a practice, and touched on using your body as an instrument in that practice. Part two was about facing the blank page, and using a simple structure, the I Remember Poem, to generate text so you can then begin to craft a poem in your regularContinue reading “On Writing Poems – part 3 – stealing”

White Privilege Day

On Writing Poems – part 2 – facing the blank page

Part 1 of this series focused on the idea of practice. That writing poems can be a regular, daily routine, and that a regular practice of editing, repeatedly, is how to nurture your words into poems. Poems rarely come like gifts in the mail. They take work and craft and practice. I started part oneContinue reading “On Writing Poems – part 2 – facing the blank page”

On Writing Poems – part 1 – establish practice

Do you want to write poems? Do you already write poems? Sometimes writing poems is easier than other times. Important to writing poetry is incorporating the mindset of having a practice. Make poetry a routine part of your day. I like to compare it to weeding in the garden, which is a practice. In theContinue reading “On Writing Poems – part 1 – establish practice”

On Reading Poems

Sometimes I’m reminded that not everybody comes to poems on their own, and that poems can be confusing without a framework of how to go about reading and enjoying them. Here’s how I’ve come to read poems: a poem is a stand of woods you’d like to walk through. Usually there is a trailhead, startContinue reading “On Reading Poems”

Mountain Biker’s Prayer

To be undressed at the Subaru’s hatch, pulling on shorts and peering into the woods for trails and sounds of life and signs of riding. To lube chain and dial-in brakes, shifting, saddle height, alone at the trailhead or with buddies, talking smack, sneaking a hit, stretching legs. To attack the trail and climb immediatelyContinue reading “Mountain Biker’s Prayer”

Ninja

Ninja climbs up to my lap, not simply jumping, no, climbing up to my lap, claws on display topping me, claiming me I’m furniture She’s vulnerable close in like this She’s given me my best advantage I could so easily grab her with both hands, wrap her up, confine her, restrict her So this, fullContinue reading “Ninja”

Alone

Go home after the party alone to empty bed Covers pushed back bare sheets wrinkled Basho: the old verse can be about willows Haikai requires crows picking snails in a rice paddy Not this world’sContinue reading “Alone”

Drinking Alone

Sitting in my car in the employee lot at work, five am under one of two tall lights listening to A Ghost Is Born My car alone tucked in next to a squarely hedged viburnum Rain spits and splatters shadows cast from my windshield AContinue reading “Drinking Alone”