The Window To The World on Life of A Poet Week 5: Pete

Can you tell us about yourself?

I’m a forty-year-old father and amateur writer who’s trying to get his head round what it means to be me at the ‘meridian’ of his life. How I fit this space and this time fits me. Writing is a form of expression that allows me to do it.

Which country do you live in now? What’s your profession? be general, no need to specify your location...

I’ve been living and working in Spain for the last 17 years. I work as a teacher, teaching English as a foreign/second language.

How long have you been blogging? Do you think being part of a poetry community contributes to your writing?

I’ve been blogging for the last couple of years. At the beginning it’s quite hard because you know that not many people read what you post, but as time passes you develop ways of reaching out to an audience, whether it’s via twitter, visiting other writers’ blogs or poetry communities like The Poetry Palace. Being part of a poetry community can help a lot because it gives you the chance to get feedback on your writing, which is tremendously rewarding, and be able to comment on others’ writing too. It’s symbiotic – feeding off each other’s points of view, interpretations and poetic personalities.

Why poetry? Do you write fiction too?

I’ve always read widely and then two years ago I ‘picked up my pen’ so to speak and started writing. At first I wrote short articles about subjects I was interested in and then I became fascinated by short-form poetry and I began to write and post haiku, senryu and tanka. I only began writing longer single poems 6 or 8 months ago, because I suppose I found it a challenge coming from writing in such a concentrated form such as haiku to being able to express myself in more than three lines.

Please share 3 to 5 blog links you enjoy reading most, give 2 or 3 sentences to tell why you love their creative process.

http://velvetinapurrs.wordpress.com/   I would venture to say that this is one of my favourite poetry blogs. Kerry-ann writes beautifully and truthfully with an honesty and naturalness which is enviable. She weaves words with apparent ease and her writing reveals layers and depths upon each rereading.

http://chromapoesy.com/  Anna Montgomery is one of the most creative people I’ve come across – her writing is a kaleidoscope of colour with great depth. The renaissance runs in her creative veins – a marvellous blend of science and art in all its forms of expression. ‘Meta-’ is a keyword for me when it comes to her creative output. She’s also a painter and musician, a fact which I think comes through strongly in her writing.

http://evavonpelt.wordpress.com/  Eva has a strong and original feel for words and is able to bring out their own particular colour and music. Her sensual writing is particularly beautiful.

http://haikuproject.wordpress.com/  Melissa Allen’s blog is a wonderful source of short-form poetry, in particular haiku. She often uses photography to go with her delightful poems and collaborates with artists. I’m constantly amazed at how she manages to create an image or a feeling in only three lines.

How do you know when a poem is ready to be posted?

I’m not sure if one ever knows when a poem is ready to be posted! I think it’s a gut feeling that you have that makes you finally decide to click on ‘publish’.

How do you decide when a poem is good? Do you redo your own poems after they’re posted?

‘Good’ is a loaded adjective! I can’t be objective, but I think a poem is good enough if it’s a piece of writing that reflects what I think and feel in its ink.

Do you think music and poetry are related? Why?

I’ve never had any musical training, but I do feel that poetry and music are inextricably linked. Words have a voice that sings to us. In fact, many of my poems have been inspired directly by songs and pieces of music. I’m also inspired to write by photography and painting…I think all five senses are used when writing – taste, smell and texture as well as sight and hearing.

What issues are close to your heart? Women’s rights, child abuses, etc.…name one…

I don’t tend to write about particular issues as such, but through my writing I do try to get as close as I poetically can to the truth of beauty and the beauty of truth, relationships and life/existence, nature and more recently philosophical notions of time and perception.

What are your other hobbies besides writing? Do you have pets? Give us a picture if you own a pet.

The mirror of writing, which is reading… , going to the cinema, walking in the countryside.

Please list your blog links below, share 1 or 2 poems that represents best of your poetry talent…

My poetry blog can be found at http://juca2.wordpress.com

This is a series of tanka I wrote about two of my holy grails…

Truth and beauty:

Her beauty lies below her skin

flows in her marrow

in her becoming

her being

her.

His beauty lies below his vellum

flows in his art

his Heraclitean canvas

his whole

him.

Her truth is spoken in

quiet sighs of omorphia

her esoteric essence

in visible

her.

His truth is read in

smooth syllable-veined rock

his exoteric expression

in constant

him.

This poem is called ‘Barely’:

I lean my forehead

against bark

hardened in the strength

of weight in years

I embrace the ache

slow tears of sap

obey the pull

of my weakness

sliding sweetly

down the cool

of

an empty chair

a half-made bed

an exquisitely painful

quiet;

in the mirror

my own reflection

is all I see

all I don't want to see

...today

I sense the sky

is almost

blue.