Headstall's Reflections - 5. Chapter 5- Succinct Journey

I liked it Gary! It was a seemingly long, yet short and sweet, journey. And the final word "arriving" was so fitting.

Thanks for this wonderful poem Gary!

Bah :heart: likeless again!!
Gary this sounds like you're exorcising demons - forcing them out by writing them out. But Fill in the Blanks works too. And for you, this is very different, I like it, it's different and I hope it works.
tim

You do have a way with words... even if it's two words at a time. Each pair meant something... a different aspect of life and coping. I have no idea what form it is... I don't particularly care. I just truly enjoyed it.

I love how you used the word association to reflect on your journey. Different is good and whatever form you choose to call it, it works. The meaning and feelings is clear in the connection of the words chosen. You manage yet again to strike a chord in me Gary..
I think it's brill.. (The kids still say that?) xo

Excellent and succinct, as titled. I really liked this. Great how you made the transition to the final pair.

Very "stream of consciousness", taking us on a journey and arriving at the end

An original way of giving your thoughts during a journey a place. There are several pairs that are food for reflection in itself and could well serve as writing prompts. Much room for filling in the blanks. A lovely poem, Gary. Thanks.

On 01/25/2016 06:47 AM, Drew Espinosa said:

I liked it Gary! It was a seemingly long, yet short and sweet, journey. And the final word "arriving" was so fitting.

 

Thanks for this wonderful poem Gary!

Thank you, Drew. I'm glad you liked it. Surprisingly, it took very little time for these word combinations to coalesce in my weird brain... I appreciate the review... cheers... Gary...

On 01/25/2016 06:51 AM, Mikiesboy said:

Bah :heart: likeless again!!

Gary this sounds like you're exorcising demons - forcing them out by writing them out. But Fill in the Blanks works too. And for you, this is very different, I like it, it's different and I hope it works.

tim

Thanks, tim. In a way, I was... and it is different for me, but it made perfect sense to me. I wondered if any would see the journey I was writing... it seems to have worked somewhat... I appreciate the review... cheers... Gary...

On 01/25/2016 06:52 AM, LitLover said:

You do have a way with words... even if it's two words at a time. Each pair meant something... a different aspect of life and coping. I have no idea what form it is... I don't particularly care. I just truly enjoyed it.

Thanks, Lit. You're right... it's not the form that matters... it's whether you can get people to feel something, even if it's different from what you feel. Thanks for a great review... cheers... Gary...

On 01/25/2016 06:54 AM, Reader1810 said:

Interesting reflection Gary

I was reading it and thought of ink blots. You remember those...see the ink blot and say what it reminds you of...usually the first thing you think of.

Thats what I thought of here. One word (thought) led to the one beside it.

Strange thought process, I know, but that is where my brain went so I'm sticking with it.

 

I will say one thing for you Gary, you are a big thinker- that is a compliment by the way.

Thanks, Reader. I kind of get that. My goal is always to stimulate thought, which is what an ink blot does. And I do take 'big thinker' as a compliment. Thanks for a thoughtful review, my friend... cheers... Gary...

On 01/25/2016 07:52 AM, Defiance19 said:

I love how you used the word association to reflect on your journey. Different is good and whatever form you choose to call it, it works. The meaning and feelings is clear in the connection of the words chosen. You manage yet again to strike a chord in me Gary..

I think it's brill.. (The kids still say that?) xo

Thanks, Def. I'm glad it worked for you. I can't beat 'striking a cord' so thank you, and as far as brill... I'll take that too...lol... thanks for the great review... cheers... Gary...

On 01/25/2016 01:16 PM, Parker Owens said:

Excellent and succinct, as titled. I really liked this. Great how you made the transition to the final pair.

Thanks, Parker, for appreciating my word journey... it did flow towards the ending... arriving. I appreciate the great review... cheers... Gary...

On 01/25/2016 09:32 PM, Bucket1 said:

Very "stream of consciousness", taking us on a journey and arriving at the end

It kind of was, wasn't it? Thanks for your take on things, as always, my friend... love the review... cheers... Gary...

On 01/26/2016 07:32 AM, J.HunterDunn said:

An original way of giving your thoughts during a journey a place. There are several pairs that are food for reflection in itself and could well serve as writing prompts. Much room for filling in the blanks. A lovely poem, Gary. Thanks.

Thanks so much, Peter! I enjoyed this... it alleviated the turmoil in my head lol. Much of poetry is up for interpretation and this was another way to express my own thoughts while letting others feel their own... thanks for the great review, my friend... cheers... Gary...

Fine use of alliterations; I also like how there is an in-grained 'story' moving through the poem, from sad and lonely to hopeful and calm.

Very nicely done!

On 01/29/2016 06:34 AM, AC Benus said:

Fine use of alliterations; I also like how there is an in-grained 'story' moving through the poem, from sad and lonely to hopeful and calm.

 

Very nicely done!

Thanks, AC... this one happened quickly... I kind of actually saw it as I wrote it, and to be honest, it's had a lasting effect for some reason...when I come back to it, it speaks to me. Thanks for the review, AC... cheers... Gary

An interesting tale this, told two words at a time.  The words in a matrix as I thought about how each word related to the next, and each pair related to the previous pair.  It was a very inventive way to express ideas and thoughts.  I hope I can be just as inventive someday! 

9 hours ago, raven1 said:

An interesting tale this, told two words at a time.  The words in a matrix as I thought about how each word related to the next, and each pair related to the previous pair.  It was a very inventive way to express ideas and thoughts.  I hope I can be just as inventive someday! 

I kind of like the idea that despite the history and traditions of poetry, I can write what I want. I can decide if there are rules, and maybe that is because I learned the forms first, and wrote in those forms, from Tanka to Ballade and everything in between. For me poetry is freeing, so why would I impose limits. That's not to say I don't like the forms... structure can be very important, but free verse and experiments like this allow for so much expression. Did this form work? If people read it and thought about it... felt something... then it did.   Thanks, buddy.  

What you did is what I am trying to do.  First to learn the forms, master them and eventually break away.  For me the form for Haiku actually made it easier for me to write.  I've been going to AC's blog that explains how to write various forms, and am learning about Tanka poetry now.  It is only a little bit more difficult, but enough that I have to have larger thoughts and more required elements to meet.  

22 minutes ago, raven1 said:

What you did is what I am trying to do.  First to learn the forms, master them and eventually break away.  For me the form for Haiku actually made it easier for me to write.  I've been going to AC's blog that explains how to write various forms, and am learning about Tanka poetry now.  It is only a little bit more difficult, but enough that I have to have larger thoughts and more required elements to meet.  

Finding our voices is a process. It took me a while to learn what I like and don't like about poetry, and a lot of that came from reading it and then thinking about it, but becoming adept at the forms let me understand why some poetry is not my cup of tea... while others really speak to me. I appreciate all of it, and I think some poets were ahead of their time in a lot of cases, but some are lost in the translation in modern times. Their voices are important, but there can be a disconnect since language is so much different with each new generation. Finding out what works for you is the key to being authentic. Copying someone else's style is filled with pitfalls/potholes, though it doesn't mean we can't appreciate our differences. 

I have written poetry that made me feel like a pretender, more concerned with style than substance. Fortunately, it became clear quickly that was not me... and was not something I could post and be proud of. When we read our own stuff we should hear the integrity in it... the honesty, the vulnerability, the hopes, dreams, regrets, emotions... all of those we feel... and the love it can express like nothing else, be it a person or an animal or the beauty of the natural world. It should make us feel, inspire us to reach for new heights, or give cause for introspection. Or, it can simply entertain.

Good lord, I am becoming an old windbag, as my mom would have said.   My long-winded point is you are going about it the right way. One more thing I would say is take advice and criticism, but don't let anyone change your voice or your message. Not every single reader has to like your poetry. Happy writing, my fellow poet.