I'm not a poet by nature; I'm too analytical, taciturn emotionally. But as someone committed to the craft of prose, I have to be wary of trite metaphors, ho-hum ways of getting my sensibilities across to potential readers.
So I sometimes take a stab at writing poetry. What's left unsaid in poesy is as important as what's spelled out by the limited capacity of words to make ideas, feelings, emotions, come to life. Writing poetry after so much time depicting story, setting and character is like forcing an ocean into a wine glass.
But then, when I return to my stories – long or short – the prose pours out, filled with allusion and rhythm, as if they've received a transfusion.
So am I a poet just because I sometimes write it? No. But is it something I keep in my word-working toolbox to hone my writing? You bet.
