A simple question in my inbox
from an earnest eighth grade boy,
“How do you write a poem?”
“I am stuck.”
For this student,
a well crafted mentor text
was enough
to move the young writer
from standing still
to a steady jog.
But, in truth,
there are a thousand ways to write a poem…
walk out in the sunshine
or steal away in the night;
close your eyes to rewind a memory
or listen to the notes of your heart;
sit daily at a desk with blank paper
and a pencil
or sketch, paint, color
the outlines of a poem;
play a favorite song
or revel in the quiet.
There is no foolproof method,
no secret guide to
crafting poetry.
Instead,
poems are all around us
just waiting to be read.
A Reading Life 
I came, looking for an answer, just like your student. And came away quietly inspired. I hope your student was, as well. Thank you.
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Your answer — and your writing — to this question is extremely inspiring, Beth! Thanks for sharing your beautiful words and your response with us. Because, at the end of the day, “There is no foolproof method/no secret guide to/crafting poetry.”
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I loved your middle stanza! Being out in nature and stuck with my thoughts in the middle of the night have always been my two biggest poetry inspirations! I love poetry, and I’m saddened by how many people are intimidated by it. This is beautiful!
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Finding a topic is quite a challenge, but now that March is coming to a close, how to narrow the choices! It seems the more one writes, the easier it come – maybe? Thank you for a beautiful poem. I love the earnestness of his request, as if there is a formulaic answer. It is seems as if he asked the right person, for sure!
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This is lovely, a poem about how to write a poem, so good. You have crafted so many ideas and they all ring true and you’ve woven them into a poem. The last two lines summarise it all, poems are everywhere, waiting to be read!
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This is so beautiful. I’m teaching an afterschool poetry class next week and want to share this poem with them–it’s so full of great inspiration, and I think will spark some important conversation about the many ways to be a poet. I also want to use this as a mentor text for my students doing the classroom slice of life–how one can take a question from the day and turn it into a thoughtful slice.
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I love that you describe the student as:
from standing still/ to a steady jog.
Becasue to ask for help was a certain stance.
It makes me think how to describe the student stuck but not asking and the student soaring. Various walking/running analogies work so well!!
I also love your list of ALL the many actions a poet can take to write a poem. Such a great slice!! Thanks for sharing.
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