M'Script #3

Here I am at the Salem Athenaeum trying to sort out poems for my third manuscript. There are 55 poems that I've whittled down from 80.

This is part of my process: to spread them out on a floor somewhere and attempt to impose an order (or to let an order emerge). If I had wall space, I would pin them up and stare at them ad nauseam. For now, I'll put them in columns to see where the holes are, bundle them up, and carry them around with me everywhere. Most likely, I'll write new poems to bridge the gaps.

I like to think that my poems are talking to one another, but today they seem to be arguing. I have a theme in mind, but I haven't figured out how to make it work exactly with the content.

These poems need lots of TLC. Some have found their way to journals and Web zines. Others are in need of revision. It just feels good to say that I'm working on my third poetry collection.