The Practice of Poetry

Recently, a friend and I took time off work and travelled for many hours to visit our yoga teacher, Baba Hari Dass in order to glean some inspiration. I had been feeling like I needed some encouragement to re-direct my focus and get me “back on track”; practicing yoga often helps me with other reflective practices–especially writing.

But, our trip did not go as planned: the yoga center was closed for the weekend and our teacher was unavailable. Instead of getting re-focused, we spent the weekend lounging on the beach. I returned home relaxed, but a bit frustrated about not doing what I intended to do. That night, I dreamed that I stumbled upon Baba Hari Dass in my kitchen, having a midnight snack.  Perhaps this was a reminder that even the most dedicated individuals ease back and relax now and then too.

A friend of mine likes to live by the motto, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” This seems like the right follow-up to yesterday’s posting about endurance.  Some writers, of course, don’t live in moderation. Jack Kerouac is notorious for non-stop writing. He even taped sheets of paper together so that he wouldn’t have to bother with replacing the paper when he got to the bottom of the page. But Kerouac needed major chemical enhancement to perform his long-haul trucker style of writing. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson is another one for whom moderation seemed to have played no role in his writing or life. Gonzo-style writing blazes furiously but briefly; I doubt many who practice such styles make life-long careers out of such intensity. 

I’d like my passions to burn slow and long. I’d like to think I’ll still be writing poems at the end of my life.

So here’s to endurance—and a not-so-serious tendency to loaf on occasion. And perhaps now and then a midnight snack bathed in the soft light of the refrigerator.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS