Substitute once upon a time if you like, but I'll start it this way:
One day, I wrote a poem which seemed to me to have little to no promise to it.
I could have thrown it out, but I didn't.
Over several days I worked at it.
And it was still lacking the kind of somethings that would make it worthwhile.
So, I began instead to play with it.
I created two poems.
Maybe there still is no point to either of them or both of them.
But I learned something.
What I learned is that the line breaks in a poem make a difference - in tone, in meaning.
And it was fun.
And here are those two poems, so you can see for yourself.
Poem One
there are so many
things I could be
doing right
now cleaning
the bathroom packing away
winter clothing vacuuming
something even reading
but I’m not thought
I’d study
light patterns shade on
birch tree
trunk but the wind changes
hot
to cool clouds
slipping in shadows
disappear
I sit on
the deck listening to breeze
rustling distant
mowers humming
waiting I will
see if shadow
patterns shifting
return form
anew
or maybe something else will
do!
Kate Lydon Varley
Poem Two
there are so many things I could be doing right now
cleaning the bathroom
packing away winter clothing
vacuuming something
even reading
but I’m not
thought I’d study light patterns
shade on birch tree trunk
but the wind changes hot to cool
clouds slipping in
shadows disappear
I sit on the deck
listening to breeze rustling
distant mowers humming
waiting
I will see if shadow patterns shifting return
form anew
or maybe something else will do
Kate Lydon Varley
