Poems in Boxes
Friend. I know that you must feel frustrated. I'm here to tell you that your feelings are legitimate and that you shouldn't hold your emotions in. I'm not going to judge, but I can help, if you want me to.
Step 1
Ask yourself why you want to put the poem into a box. You don't have to tell me about the specific details, but it might help with this process. I know that you might either be very attached to this poem and want to take it with you, or you might never want to see the poem again and plan to hide it in the dark corners of your attic. Or you might want to put the poem in a box for an entirely different reason. It's ok. Any reason is ok, just as long as you're clear with yourself your intentions. While I can't pretend to understand how you're feeling, I can tell you that I've been in similar situations, and I can empathize with your turmoil.
Step 2
Find a bigger box. I'm all about environmental conservation but I also know that there are personal emergencies which can justify the use of paper products. Your local grocery store often has boxes leftover from the goods they sell which you could repurpose.
Step 3
Manage your pain. I find from experience that oftentimes when people who want to put poems in boxes, there may be an underlying issues. I won't probe, but I hope that you'll be honest with yourself. Please, take care of yourself. Draw yourself a hot bath and make a cup of tea (or coffee if that's your thing.) Think about what's going on in your life, and let all of the thoughts you've been shoving into the back of your brain, come forward. Cry if you need to. Scream if you need to.
Step 4
Acceptance. I know that this may be hard to hear, so take you time reading this. But...poems oftentimes don't belong in boxes. They are amorphous creatures, taking up as much or as little space as they'd like to. The confinement of a box just isn't conducive to a thriving poem. Poems, they're a curious thing. They can be both strong and fragile. If you loved it, set it free or leave it for someone else to enjoy. If you hate it, set it free too. Don't let it take up space in your attic or in your mind. I know that the local library would most likely be happy to accept a poem donation. This is a hard time, I know. But I really do believe in you and remember, you hold the ability to take care of this poem.
Step 1
Ask yourself why you want to put the poem into a box. You don't have to tell me about the specific details, but it might help with this process. I know that you might either be very attached to this poem and want to take it with you, or you might never want to see the poem again and plan to hide it in the dark corners of your attic. Or you might want to put the poem in a box for an entirely different reason. It's ok. Any reason is ok, just as long as you're clear with yourself your intentions. While I can't pretend to understand how you're feeling, I can tell you that I've been in similar situations, and I can empathize with your turmoil.
Step 2
Find a bigger box. I'm all about environmental conservation but I also know that there are personal emergencies which can justify the use of paper products. Your local grocery store often has boxes leftover from the goods they sell which you could repurpose.
Step 3
Manage your pain. I find from experience that oftentimes when people who want to put poems in boxes, there may be an underlying issues. I won't probe, but I hope that you'll be honest with yourself. Please, take care of yourself. Draw yourself a hot bath and make a cup of tea (or coffee if that's your thing.) Think about what's going on in your life, and let all of the thoughts you've been shoving into the back of your brain, come forward. Cry if you need to. Scream if you need to.
Step 4
Acceptance. I know that this may be hard to hear, so take you time reading this. But...poems oftentimes don't belong in boxes. They are amorphous creatures, taking up as much or as little space as they'd like to. The confinement of a box just isn't conducive to a thriving poem. Poems, they're a curious thing. They can be both strong and fragile. If you loved it, set it free or leave it for someone else to enjoy. If you hate it, set it free too. Don't let it take up space in your attic or in your mind. I know that the local library would most likely be happy to accept a poem donation. This is a hard time, I know. But I really do believe in you and remember, you hold the ability to take care of this poem.
Nice job, Anna! I didn't think of this direction when we were brainstorming, but I thought you took it in a very funny and interesting way. I enjoyed this very much.
ReplyDeleteI like that you begin by interrogating the need to put a poem in a box, but you remain sensitive to the feeling of the problem's "I" that not being able to fit the poem in is, in fact, a problem. You also return to the "no box" perspective in the final step, and in the process, you use your advice as a way to explore a poem's poemness.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this approach. I think the fact that this is Poetry class, and that this is a Poetry Problems Blog tend to shift our ideas towards the creation of poetry, but the prompt does not ask for a poem -- it merely says "I can't fit this poem in this box. What do I do?" The end result here feels slightly subversive to this class, but after all, it is literally what the prompt asks for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hanna that this isn't what I expected. Nonetheless, I like how you went for a mix of literal and abstract interpretation of the prompt; the contrast between the simple "buy a bigger box" and more complex analysis of how maybe the questioner is looking at their 'problem' all wrong. It feels like it would fit right in a self help book for troubled poets.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever take on this prompt, Anna! I love the humor and personality that you were able to convey throughout the post while still addressing the prompt successfully. That interactive narrative made your work engaging and enjoyable to read. Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteHonestly i feel as if i can deeply relate with this poem. Whether you wrote it for comedy, for someone, yourself or no one, i feel as if it applies to me as a reader. We all are busy, stressed out students with hidden struggles and pains, and things we just want to pack up in a box (to hide, or burn). A poem in a box is like emotions under the surface, and your poem is a lovely consolation to whomever hid them there.
ReplyDelete