I've written about Wayne before (see my other blog, "Write Your Life!," http://seniormemoirs.blogspot.com/2008/06/power-of-senior-writing-perhaps-ive.html ).
Yesterday, he sent me this poem, inspired by my rictameters. His poem is not technically a rictameter (it lacks the prescribed syllable count), but I think its nine lines provide a wonderful example of short, simple free-form poetry that conveys an elder's thoughts very effectively. What do you think?
ELDERVERSITY, by Wayne Winters (used by permission)
ELDERVERSTIY
IS A WORD THAT
BEST DECRIBES ME AND
MY PHYSICAL CONDITION
AS I APPROACH MY EIGHTY-SECOND
AND RELINQUISH MORE CONTROL
OF LIFE'S DESIRES, WANTS,
AND WISHES.
ELDERVERSITY.
This poem illustrates a previous statement of Wayne's about his discovery, or rediscovery, of writing after age 80: "I think I have started writing out of frustration and confusion. I am frustrated because I cannot do what I always did and I'm confused because I don't remember why. Writing of any kind seems to help put facts and figures in place, in order, while otherwise they are just bouncing around in my mostly dried-out gourd of a head. In some of us, God forgot to include the zerk fitting, and so we were never properly maintained."
(I had no idea what a "zerk fitting" is, so I looked it up. It seems that it's a fitting providing a way for grease to be forced into mechanical joints that need grease to prevent wear and make movement easy. What an appropriate image for some of the problems of aging!)
Today, Wayne wrote me as part of his permission to reproduce his work, "I have started to think that I should stay longer and write more." That's great news from someone who had been depressed and ready to give up on living.
Thanks, Wayne, for helping me show that it's never too late to discover a passion, especially a passion for writing!
Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne
Yesterday, he sent me this poem, inspired by my rictameters. His poem is not technically a rictameter (it lacks the prescribed syllable count), but I think its nine lines provide a wonderful example of short, simple free-form poetry that conveys an elder's thoughts very effectively. What do you think?
ELDERVERSITY, by Wayne Winters (used by permission)
ELDERVERSTIY
IS A WORD THAT
BEST DECRIBES ME AND
MY PHYSICAL CONDITION
AS I APPROACH MY EIGHTY-SECOND
AND RELINQUISH MORE CONTROL
OF LIFE'S DESIRES, WANTS,
AND WISHES.
ELDERVERSITY.
This poem illustrates a previous statement of Wayne's about his discovery, or rediscovery, of writing after age 80: "I think I have started writing out of frustration and confusion. I am frustrated because I cannot do what I always did and I'm confused because I don't remember why. Writing of any kind seems to help put facts and figures in place, in order, while otherwise they are just bouncing around in my mostly dried-out gourd of a head. In some of us, God forgot to include the zerk fitting, and so we were never properly maintained."
(I had no idea what a "zerk fitting" is, so I looked it up. It seems that it's a fitting providing a way for grease to be forced into mechanical joints that need grease to prevent wear and make movement easy. What an appropriate image for some of the problems of aging!)
Today, Wayne wrote me as part of his permission to reproduce his work, "I have started to think that I should stay longer and write more." That's great news from someone who had been depressed and ready to give up on living.
Thanks, Wayne, for helping me show that it's never too late to discover a passion, especially a passion for writing!
Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne
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