Writing Tips / Process
Today, my time for poetry included a bit of surreal reflection on the world. Perhaps you’re feeling this way too.
I sipped my coffee and felt confused and sad— it’s so surreal to be here safe in my home while around the world people suffer in an unprovoked attack on their freedom and country. It seems like there should be more we can do. I found an article on NPR on ways to offer help: Here’s How You Can Help.
Still, I sit in my safety and search the news for updates, all the while wondering which tweets and articles are the truth? How do I know? I found a few places that suggest ways to find truthful posts.
- Sift: The Four Moves
- Stanford: 7 Tips for Spotting Disinformation
- NewsLit John Silva: Guard Against Misinformation
And so these thoughts worked into a poem— with a photo of one my art mugs from another such morning. I began with the my feeling and setting, drifted across the ocean, and then wondered about finding the truth, adding into the poem the four moves of SIFT.
Remember, a poem doesn’t need to rhyme, it doesn’t need to follow a specific pattern, and you can create your own pattern, as I did here. Each verse is three lines: 3, 5, 5 syllables with the last line a rhyme throughout, and all syllables in a similar rhythm. I tried to focus on my search for understanding the surreal feeling of helplessness while searching for truth in the news.
Note: I often create my own patterns for songs in my fanciful fairy novels for NaNoWriMo, so this idea of creating one’s own patterns becomes easier with time. Give it a try.
Poetry
Surreal Sigh
Safe at home
Coffee in a mug
Sun shines overheadFar away
Hiding, fighting, free
Prayers for all are saidIn the news
Searching: is it truth?
Doubting what is readSift the clues
Stopping, checking, think:
Check the source just readLook around
Reading other news
Checking those insteadLook to find
Backtrack, firstly writ
What was first posted?Search for truth
Experts writing sound
Know when truth is spread.Sigh and sip
Sheri Edwards
Coffee in a mug
Hope for peace ahead.
030722 066.365.22
Poetry/Photography
A little bit of writing on our feelings of confusion help us focus on our own world and find ways to help others by learning how to search for truth to share the truth.
Deep messaging and emotion in the poem, Sheri, and useful advice.
Kevin
Thank you. We are all hoping our hope will stop this madness. 🙂