Spatial Awareness

If you have ever seen one of those fake snow novelty gifts which works by shaking it to simulate snowing that's how poems come to me. My life is a hectic blur of activity which is constantly swirling all around me obscuring the poems that lie hidden within. Sometimes things clear a little and I can make out an image or a thought and that's just enough. It's enough to get me going and enough to remind me that it's time I got writing again. It's the writing part that I really love. Once I have an idea I can tease out a phrase or word or two and start building. I'm a bit like a manic builder using words like bricks to form things into shape and build structure. That's when I look for rhyme and make decisions like size of stanza or length of line. I'm a bit like a cow chewing cud, thing go up and down, digest a bit, chew a bit, digest a bit, chew a bit. I used to try and count beats on the syllables of the words but now I find it easier to read my lines out loud and see how they flow. I don't really have any rules for this, it's right when it's right.

You may recall that I wanted to write a poem for my priest who will soon be leaving our parish for another. I really wanted to write something iconic as I have known him for twelve years.

Right, back to the fake snow bit, I have published my book, I did my reading, I had a report for the Diocesan committee I attend - done, print work for our church - done, it's my day off, I'm at a loose end. Suddenly I'm walking my dog (check out the picture, Smudge is a good boy) and the phrase spatial awareness is in my mind. It's the usual trick my subconscious has clambered into my frontal lobe and scrawled graffiti inside my head.

Literally spatial awareness is the perception of yourself in relation to your environment and the ability to predictably adapt to it's change. As he will be changing environments and both he and those left behind will have to adapt this seems like a good theme. I've been chewing it over this afternoon and I think the angle to approach this from is the parallel of being present when you are gone by the impact you have when you were there. Something like a saint or a celebrity. All I need now is a really good opening line and a few words to get me going and I'm in business. If this gives you any ideas please contact me via the comments and let me know, I'd be interested to hear.

Peace Dave.