If you are a frequenter of Poetry Friday, you likely know that the Poetry Sisters share poems on a theme once a month, and invite others to join them. This month’s challenge was to write a poem inspired by Wallace Steven’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” I confess that I did not write such a poem this month. BUT, 10 years ago that was a prompt from Tabatha Yeatts for the summer poetry swap. I went hunting through my files and found the poem that I wrote for Robyn Hood Black. Robyn and I had had an ongoing discussion about who could procrastinate more. I was (and am still) the procrastination champion! Here’s my poem from the way-back machine:
Thirteen Ways of Looking at Procrastination (an apology poem for Robyn, with thanks
to Wallace Stevens)
I
Among the pile of unfinished tasks,
The one that tore my soul
Was the poetry-swap poem for Robyn.
II
I was of three minds,
Like a blank page
In which there are three imaginary poems.
III
The unwritten poem whirled in the background of my day.
It was a small part of the pantomime of being a writer.
IV
Facebook and sudoku
Are one.
Facebook and sudoku and a week up north
Are one.
V
I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of Robyn’s poem for me not yet written
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The busy writer with assignments
That no one need know were completed seven days ago.
VI
Would icicles fill the study window
Before the summer swap poems were written?
The shadow of procrastination
Grows when Robyn’s poem arrives.
The joy of her gift
Traced with guilt
A decipherable cause.
VII
O idling writer of Augusta
Why do you imagine golden words?
Do you not see how the page
Still blank dances with rhythm
Of the writers before you?
VIII
I know about spiders and webs
And nimble, unpredictable rhymes;
But I know, too,
That frittering delay is involved
In what I know.
IX
When the excuses flew out of sight
The words marked the end
Of the empty screen.
X
At the sight of stanzas
Crowing in black and white,
Even the mistress of procrastination
Would cry out sharply.
XI
She rode to Beaufort in a manila envelope.
Once, a fear pierced her,
In that she mistook
The lateness of her words
For ineptitude.
XII
The neurons are firing.
The missive will soon be flying.
XIII
It was easier to write than to delay.
It was sunrise
And it was going to glow.
The words poured
From the writer’s pen.
--Buffy Silverman, July 2014
Image from http://www.julianjardine.co.uk/alisonread.html
I’m still not sure I understand “Thirteen Ways.” But the language is lovely, and it was fun to revisit my attempt at imitation!
For more poetry goodness, be sure to visit Live Your Poem where Irene has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup, and a peek at her and Charles’ new anthology, THE MISTAKES THAT MADE US. I am looking forward to reading this new treasure!
Buffy, I love the way you wove Stevens’s words into your piece. And it’s so funny that not only did I do the same thing, but I also did mine many years ago! (I think I wrote mine about 14 years ago.) 😀
This is funny and lovely, and oh-so-relatable.
Ha! Even though this is humorous…it’s good writing! It’s a great poem. I love the image of words pouring from your pen.
Thanks for sharing this poem. Such an innovative way to write about the truth of procrastination. I am guilty of procrastination and as I get older, it seems easier to just put things off. I always have a list. Always.
Would icicles fill the study window
Before the summer swap poems were written?
The shadow of procrastination
Grows when Robyn’s poem arrives.
This past summer Tricia was on top of things and actually sent her poem to me before the date the swap began. I know she’d never think to cause me anxiety, but there it was staring at me through the beauty of Tricia’s gift, “the shadow of procrastination.”
Thank you for the journey in the way back machine (LOL). Your poem is a reminder that procrastinating can be OK.
Oh, this is SCARILY relatable!! The imaginary poems made me LOL…
So glad you shared this one again (don’t remember seeing it before). Brilliant and so funny! I bow to you, O procrastinator extraordinaire. (I’ll throw in *thunderous applause* too, what the heck.)
Buffy, this was fun to visit the wayback machine and read this beauty. I agree with this: “I’m still not sure I understand ‘Thirteen Ways.’ But the language is lovely…” I like how you modeled your poem after the original in stanza length and some of the words. Wallace’s poem is becoming more familiar to me as I read Karen’s and yours today.
When the excuses flew out of sight
The words marked the end
Of the empty screen.
Hee! All too well do we all know THIS one…
I love how many of us are pulling out poems from back in the day and brushing them off. This one’s a classic! Thanks for playing along.
Ouch — you pinched my writer’s nerve – LOLOLOLOL
Well done umpteen years ago and perfect still today!
I can imagine you and Robyn shared quite a laugh over this exchange!
Buffy, I was just reading a book that made the case that we are evolutionarily programmed to maintain the status quo and avoid change at all costs (unless an earth-shattering event forces us to change). I guess we procrastinators are just doing what evolution has taught us keeps us alive and safe! : )
That must be why I am as much of a procrastinator now as 10 years ago!
It might be good for all of us to save your words, for when it happens, and it does, to us! I’m glad you brought it back today, Buffy, and love “That no one need know were completed seven days ago.” How it goes. . .
O idling writer of Augusta! Thank you for the chuckle this morning!
Buffy, thank you for re-sharing this…10 years!! I attempt to control life’s chaos by getting things done AHEAD of time…so I don’t relate to the poem so much as find it wondrous! xo
In my next life I will be like Irene…
Buffy, I think I can become a member of the procrastinator’s group. I usually slide in at the last minute but I attribute this to interruptions from life. I enjoyed your layout of your poem to Robyn and am intrigued by the different writers who attempted the Poetry Sisters’ challenge. I have been working on mine and finally decided that I am still in the draft stage. Stanza 12 and 13 resonate with me.