How a Poem Is Born
Spoon Jackson, on how a poem is born, and his adventures writing one poem a day in April.
Spoon Jackson — Recently, I called my friend Dawn from across the big pond in England. She’s reluctant to become a Rabbit of Realness, but she is okay with being a Bear of Realness. Last year in April, Dawn decided to write a poem a day for a month. I jumped right in and joined the parade of poems. She didn’t quite write one a day. I said, “Hey friend, what happened?” We laughed. But by the end of the month, we had some cool poems.
This year, I joined her again on the April poetry journey. A poem a day. (Perhaps not every day.) My poems were inspired by any unique experience of the day. I just let my pen flow wherever it needed to go — no judgement or thoughts. The poems did not need to be classics or a masterpieces, just real. Even if they only ended up as scrap paper. I learned something in the moment and that’s okay.
The following is an essay I wrote about how a poem is born. It might help you get started on your own poems.
Poems are born from inside. For me, poetry is organic and as natural as words can be, conveying the language and symbols of my inner world. I believe art, music, song, and dance all touch on the universal pool of realness that fuels creativity.
Poems are born or inspired by nature. A great encounter with a bird, a rabbit, a snake, a dog, a cat, or any animal or plant life.
Let the poem flow and come forth like apples on trees — let it come forth with no judgement or thoughts. Let the magic, the poetry come forth like an unaltered dream that needs to be shared uninterrupted on paper. No editing, no guilt. Just smile.
Let the poem be like Elizabeth Bishop said, like a live frog in an imaginary garden. Or like a rabbit in an imaginary desert.
A poem is born, evoked from rebuffing hate and discrimination of any kind. A poem is born out of emotion and necessity — if I did not write, I’d be a shadow, boxing Death.
A poem is born when you allow the poet you used to be as a child to come forth — when your imagination was endless and awe kept your heart flowing. When you spoke in symbol and question.
Poems can be born of a question. You find a poem blowing up when you ask, “Why go to war over oil and hate?” Wherever war is born, you’ll find a poem blowing up.
Poetry is born from darkness and light, beyond right and wrong or good and evil, in a space called realness. Poems are born in the moment.
Here’s an example of a poem I wrote this April, while writing one poem a day:
DANCING SPARROW
On my way to breakfast
I crunch up some top ramen
and bread to feed
my early morning sparrows
I have been trying to
get to know
since my arrival at
San Diego prison
Sunshine and beaches
amazon prime huge warehouses
right outside the prison
Prison in San Diego
just don't seem right
in the land of sunshine
and beaches
At my first sparrow
feeding spot the birds
were still jittery
figuring me out
But down the track
at my second feeding spot
before I even got
the top ramen bread crumbs
out of my pocket
A female sparrow danced
up close to me spreading
her wings and fluttering as
she danced
And displayed her style
asking for food —
that made my day —
she knows me.Spoon would love to read your poems. Send them here:
Spoon Jackson B-92377
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
E Yard (Level II) 24, A104 lower
480 Alta Rd.
San Diego, CA 92179
Hey Spoon, this is quite something to get a name drop on the Stack. Thank you. I enjoy our cross pond convos and the challenge of writing one a day for April - didn't quite go according to plan this year - life and chores - but why just April? Could be May or June they're poetry inspiring months too. Why not? Poetry grown from inside, the words rise, and I find often that they write themselves, in a strange way of one pulling the next onto the page. Magnetism of the alphabet, one letter following the others into words that surprise us. They often fall in an order fresh with a meaning that polishes a new shine on an old thought