Monday, February 23, 2009

Sidelined...

... by an unpleasant bit of stomach flu. The norovirus is going around this area, and I'm pretty sure that's what it is (which is a good thing in a way, as its incubation period is short enough that I can't blame AWP for it!).

Before this thing hit me like a ton of bricks (seriously, it was one of those "one minute you're okay and the next you're definitely NOT" things), I was having a very pleasant Sunday. I went out for brunch at the Runcible Spoon, where I had a lovely omelet and lots of lovely coffee and started reading D.A. Powell's new book, Chronic (about which I may have more to say when I finish it, but it's pretty great). Then I set the book aside and started drafting a something or other. Eventually I got up and left the Spoon and thought I'd drive home, but realized as I was driving that my head was definitely still in the middle of the poem & that in fact there was more. So I bypassed my street & went to Starbucks (because lately I write better when I'm not at home), where I had a skinny vanilla latte and wrote some more. I haven't had a chance to work on it yet (that whole "sick as a dog" thing sort of interferes).

So because I am still ill enough that my judgement is probably impaired, here's the draft. I'll take it down in a day or so, as per usual. I'm actually not sure whether this is my voice, or the protagonist in my current project. I'm okay with that confusion, though. (And actually I think it's more the persona. The snowflakes are all mine, though. And the fox.)


*poof*

6 comments:

Sara said...

I'm in love with this poem, Anne.

Hope you feel better soon!

Collin Kelley said...

I like the formalized couplets and then how you break free of it in the third section -- such a cascade of words -- and then return to the couplets. Nice work.

Lyle Daggett said...

I found I was more immediately drawn in by the third section than I was by the others in couplets. I recall you commented here recently that you sometimes find it helpful to write drafts using couplets (or some kind of stanza), can't remember exactly what you said, though I gathered it helps with hearing/feeling how the poem moves.

BTW, I've had a chance to read a little bit of Breach, and I'm really liking it, Anne. I'll definitely say something about it in my blog once I've done some more swimming in it.

(I attempting posting a comment but got some kind of error message, some type of glitch, so attempting again here. Just in case it winds of posting both comments, that's why.)

Anne Haines said...

Thanks so much, guys! (Collin - I sort of had the idea of how a bridge works in a pop song, for the "odd" section.)

Anonymous said...

Bah, I missed it~ Hope hope hope you're feeling MUCH better, Anne!

Jessie Carty said...

Shoot, missed the poem, but glad you are feeling better! This time of the year is just torture on our wee human bodies!!