17 September 2013

Creative Curmudgeon


An artist is always alone.
His solitude possesses his soul.
In silence, his muse seeps into his bones

with a talent that is borrowed; on loan     
from He who has given control.
An artist is always alone.

He works secluded. No sound, no phone -
his worded madness will take its toll,
in silence, his muse seeps into his bones.

His hidden talents seemed to have grown
to lift him from this creative hole,
an artist is always alone.

Once his hermetic cover is blown
he’ll find his heart is bared to extol.
In silence, his muse seeps into his bones

so it is there he finds his “zone”,
inspired to prompt and cajole.
An artist is always alone.
In silence, his muse seeps into his bones


 © JPW – 2013

Margo Roby’s Wordgathering – Poem Tryouts: It’s Miller Time


dVerse - Poets Pub - OLN #114

20 comments:

  1. I am so very glad to have your poems and hope the prompts continue to spark. I laughed as soon as I saw 'curmudgeon' and I am a sucker for any form of repetition. I enjoyed this.

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    1. The pleasure is mine, Margo! Of all of Henry Miller's lines, this little snippet caught my eye. I enjoy the solitude of writer and blank "page" (screen, iPad..) The blank canvas stays not very long! Thank you!

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  2. Yep. Really nice poem and form. I need silence to write-no music, even very soft in the background. Course maybe that's old age - I used to do homework with the Monkee's blaring away!

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    1. Debi, I can envision homework and Pleasant Valley Sunday going hand-in-hand. The Villanelle is a favorite form of mine, even though I don't delve into form lately. I'm making a concerted effort to do more! Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Wow, Jeep, you are 100% right on this. I don't think a lot of people understand the life of an artist. One needs aloneness and silence before the muse will seep into his bones. I really, REALLY like this poem.

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    1. Mary, you don't know how much I appreciate those comments! The poet in the bell jar can come up with some amazing things as long as he/she is inspired. Thank you; I'll be trying to make rounds a little later.

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  4. nice use of form in this...i like the use of repetition...and i think there is that zone you can get in as an artist as with a sportsfigure or anyone chasing a passion...it takes work...lots but...consistency

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    1. Thanks Brian. The sports analogy works well for this.

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  5. Very nicely done. A good write and a great read.>KB

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  6. An artist is always alone... a great repetition... this works well with me

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    1. An artist is no more alone than when he/she completes their "master work" and puts it in public. It becomes theirs then and the artist is alone once more. Thanks Bjorn.

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  7. I can really relate to the first line of sentences....

    I'm a poet and I always feel alone when it comes to writing...but it helps me out a lot with my imagination.

    Above all, great poem and awesome images. :)

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  8. As one who can only seem to write alone in a crowd (like a cafe), I can truly appreciate this. Sometimes it's hard to balance the need for time alone with a relationship, but having a partner who understands really helps.

    And in the end, when we close our eyes at night, we really are alone anyway... Thanks for this! Amy

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    1. Amy, you are most welcome. I find solace alone in a crowded bistro myself! Maybe our paths had crossed as we ignored each other to write our muses together alone. Thoughts are ours until we set them to page, then they are free and so are we, alone once more. New pages always await us!

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  9. Had to go back to my list of forms I have used and finally worked out that this is a villanelle.I use these forms, like them, but then totally forget how they go.
    You make it seem so natural that it took me a while to notice the repetition.
    Know what? I actually included the [Harvest-]moon in my attempt at a ballad today. Fickle.

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    1. We fit whatever we can into our work, Aprille. I can work in forms and do, I think, fairly well with them but I feel more expressive with free verse. Yes, those French forms keep repeating on me!

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  10. I expect the best writing comes out of deep silence - it does for me anyway. Great poem, & the title of your blog says a lot.

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  11. I spent much time at the beach watching the shoreline from a lone bench. I observe and write and create without the distractions. Thanks for stopping by and offering support, rudyan!

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I would appreciate feedback on my work. If we don't learn, we'll never grow.