I was grumbling to John this morning about how every topic I think of to write a poem about seems to have been done to death by greater and lesser poets than I. He told me about the view of a professor he once had regarding research topics. The professor said not to look at the topic in hand as a carcass with all the meat picked off. Every researcher’s view is a fresh look at the overall subject with connections to be made and new ideas to be proposed. The subject eventually gets honed to its pristine point and we are able to see our way forward with sure steps.
So where does that leave me? I still don’t have a topic. No focus, no poem, so to speak. I suppose I could write on carcasses, but nothing grabs me there either. When I write I like to know where I’m starting from and where the end is located. The middle generally takes care of itself. The trick is to get back far enough mentally to see the whole picture. Then the carcass becomes clear in its entirety and I can imagine it in different styles of dress.
