Unlike an essay, an article, a thesis, an opinion piece or even a novel, writing poetry has a striking immediacy and experiential directness. Poems are not constructed the same way that other forms or genres of writing are constructed; nor are they planned and pieced together like some report or presentation.

Indeed, no!

Poems live and form in the temporality of the moment: in that special circumstance where mood, aspiration and stimulus meet in a marriage of creativity.

That is not to say that after the marriage one does not have to work at it. Indeed, once the poem is roughly formed and finds its existence, there is a need to work on structure, rhythm, clarity and consistency. So many times a poem has flown off my pen in the dynamism of inspiration, only to take some time to fully hone, shape and be satisfied with.

But one does not begin with structure, rhythm, clarity  and consistency. That is entirely the wrong place. Indeed, I would say that when you are writing a poem, you are not writing a poem at all. You are writing your heart, your thoughts, your inspirations with words that flow like a crystalline mountain stream or drop like seeds on a fertile field.

Yes indeed, forget the style, structure, techniques and nuances of words; that comes later, and that’s the hard part. Start with your heart; start in the moment and just write the feeling and impressions in your soul.

Live, breathe and write in the passionate moment of this divine marriage of mood, aspiration and stimulus.