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by Clare Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E · Other · Writing · #1654827
Sestina about poetic process
Worduko

Constantly refine through drafting.
Placate words and place them in line.
Listen closely to hear your own voice
And let your mind's eye focus in images.
Always choose the right time for rhyme,
Never pursue it at the expense of the form.

I always tried to find a form
Then force myself into drafting.
I used to constantly employ rhyme,
It was the only way to end a line!
Though my mind would flow with images
They'd never totally soak into my voice.

I began to hear my own voice
More clearly as it took on form
I was able to rein in my images,
My nagging them through drafting
Made them march smoothly into line
And sometimes as a bonus they'd rhyme!

As a child I thought poetry was just rhyme;
Now I know it's more than that, it's a voice
That sometimes whispers in a single line
Or screaming echoes throughout the form.
Our job is to knead it with strong drafting
And serve it with an entree of images.

They're trouble though, these images
They hide behind and twist the rhyme,
You play a game of hide and seek in drafting
To pluck out those which suit your voice,
And strap them in struggling, into a form
Your pen warning them to stay in line

The trick is to balance on the line
Between who has the power; you or the images
They can themselves create an awesome form
And even shelter a hidden rhyme
But don't let them bury your voice,
Constantly dig it out through drafting.

It's not here nor there if your line has rhyme
Or if there are no images wrapped in your voice.
You simply need to fmd your own form through drafting!
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