Kill My Poem, Kill Me
Remember the article about What Is An Editor? I checked back with Quiche Moraine to see what's happening with that group of writers and found Mike Haubrich's poignant Writing as a Release and a Chore. It contains a horrific (to me) foray into his experience with a spouse who destroyed his poems.
This is an act that is unthinkable for me. I had a spouse who was utterly indifferent to most of my creative efforts, but I never had a whiff of fear that he might ruin any of it. Of course, I never dreamed he would walk out on such a long term relationship, or that terrorists would fly planes into the Twin Towers, or all the other traumatizing events I've experienced. Life continues to surprise me, jaded and ancient as I am.
If your life partner was so jealous or whatever of your creative endeavors that he or she irrevocably vanished them, what would you do? My first reaction would be to find a heavy, blunt object and give into the searing, blind rage. Maybe others are more mature or less involved with their endeavors, but my writing is me. Is poetry a special case? I do seem to feel more strongly about that than any other of my endeavors.
This is an act that is unthinkable for me. I had a spouse who was utterly indifferent to most of my creative efforts, but I never had a whiff of fear that he might ruin any of it. Of course, I never dreamed he would walk out on such a long term relationship, or that terrorists would fly planes into the Twin Towers, or all the other traumatizing events I've experienced. Life continues to surprise me, jaded and ancient as I am.
If your life partner was so jealous or whatever of your creative endeavors that he or she irrevocably vanished them, what would you do? My first reaction would be to find a heavy, blunt object and give into the searing, blind rage. Maybe others are more mature or less involved with their endeavors, but my writing is me. Is poetry a special case? I do seem to feel more strongly about that than any other of my endeavors.Labels: poetry, writers, writing
posted by Georganna Hancock M.S. | 10:09 AM
3 Comments:
Were I to discover my partner harbored any jealousy toward my work and/or art, let alone the need to destroy my efforts, the relationship would be over. Irreconcilable.
Georgeanna -
I just now found this, and I appreciate the mention. It had a larger effect, too, on stifling the freedom I had allowed myself in writing. It caused a block that I am only occasionally able to get past in writing poetry. Who, close to me, is someday going to destroy it?
Thanks for the validation, Kathleen. I suspected I was not alone.
OTOH, Mike, all of life is ephemeral. We're gonna die. Our voices will silence. Our writing vanish. Dust in the wind. Don't write for posterity, write for your health, happiness, profit. Here and now, man!
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