THE SUPERNATURAL and BEYOND WORDS Poems #42-43

42

The Supernatural 

Speaking in tongues

Searching for inspiration

Hands grasping,

Minds laid bare 

Enlightenment nearing fingertips

Yet always just beyond reach

The brass ring,

Unattainable 

The elusive transformation

From human to divine,

Is unfathomable, far

Beyond ability

 

When it becomes accepted belief that it is possible to alter God’s creation to reflect something of man’s own invention, thereby making man (woman) appear all powerful, then not only the molecules of thought are rearranged, but also the raw materials of the soul. This is not about cloning, Hitler’s regime, or IVF, but about the dangers inherent in my own inflated ego.

 

*****     *****

43

Beyond Words

 

 

There are words

I want to build on

And to use as titles

Of poems. Phrases with meaning: 

 

Rendering a Thought Visible

Or

Attempt at the Impossible

 

But my page is blank

Not barren, only empty.

As the leaves of autumn

Shrivel and blow away,

So has my inspiration.

 

Leaving behind only

Possibilities.

 

Inspired by the works of Belgian artist René Magritte and an essay by Marcel Paquet: The Enigma of Poetry.

 

 

Know Where You're Going -or- Wait 'Til You Get there?

It's NaNoWriMo time again! Do you know where you’re going, or do you prefer to wait ‘til you get there?

Is it better to know the theme of your novel before you begin writing? Should you have a handle on the protagonist’s internal problems so you can build your writing around that issue?

For myself, I find it easier to write out the story, beginning to end, then go back and see what theme emerged from the writing. In my latest WIP (before NaNoWriMo) my third sentence emerged as the metaphor that describes the novel’s plot and subplot. It wasn’t a perfect match after the first draft but become more apparent with the second draft. During the (ongoing) editing process, I started to adjust the story to fall into line with what I saw as the defining theme of the novel.

Enlightenment is an illuminating experience!

Where do you stand on the writing process, do you want to know the facts upfront or do you prefer to watch them unfold as your story grows? Do you consider your story’s theme while you write the first draft, or mine your work later for those enlightening nuggets?