Highland Lakes scribes keeping poems relevant, though styles differ

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — Caryl Calsyn spent 20 years away from the pen, but when she picked it back up about five years ago, the poems flowed.

“I’d guess you’d have to say I’m prolific,” Calsyn said with a grin. But it’s more than just putting pencil to paper that keeps Calsyn writing; it’s about how the poems help her and, along the way, others.

“It’s my way of expressing myself and working through things,” she explained.

And she’s not alone. Poets and readers across the country enjoyed National Poetry Month this April. While many people shun poetry, enthusiasts say they should give it a try because poems offer so much to readers and writers.

“Poetry offers you a way to identify with something or somebody,” said Highland Lakes writer and poet Rick Copple. “A lot of what makes poetry so strong as a form of communication and writing is being able to use imagery in an emotional way to convey feelings, concepts and perspective in a manner that really connects with people. You can read a poem and come away with something you can’t get from anything else.”

Copple, who also writes novels and nonfiction, understands why some people avoid poetry. After all, most people were introduced to the form of writing during their school years and the choices featured more complicated verses.

Kay Lee, a Highland Lakes poet and writer, understands this as well.

“I believe many people associate poetry with fifth-grade language arts — with having to memorize passages and recite them in front of a class or perhaps with a stern teacher they never liked,” she said. “Also lofty, old-fashioned poetry with complicated rhyme schemes may not hold much appeal.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Some people don’t give poetry a chance because they don’t think they’ll understand it. Some of that goes back to the poetry we studied in school,” Calsyn said. “The thing about my poetry is it’s understandable. And that’s the key when just starting to read poetry — pick ones you understand.”

Lee recommended people sample several poems and writers.

“To encourage others to at least try poetry, I would suggest they visit a library or go online, browse through anthologies and note the names of poets whose work they like and read more by those authors,” Lee said. “I would stress to people that not all poetry is ‘stuffy’ and that rhyme is not required — free verse is a legitimate form of poetry. Some individuals might enjoy attending a poetry slam.”

That’s the key: Don’t force poetry into one type, class or style. Copple said that just as fiction and nonfiction come in a variety of genres, so does poetry. Some of his poetry, like his fiction writing, has a more science-fiction and fantasy feel. But Copple doesn’t pigeonhole himself into one style or form.

Often, a piece reflects something more personal or a daily observation. As a man with Parkinson’s disease, it finds a way into his writing. Using poetry to explore their daily life and world seems to be something many writers, including Calsyn and Lee, share. Which, they explain, makes it such a relevant form for not just themselves but readers in general.

“Poetry speaks to our humanness,” Lee said. “Through poetry, we can connect with, discover we have much in common with other people, including some who lived hundreds of years before us. For example, the poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning — ‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways’ — still resonate deeply.”

Calsyn said the act of writing poetry offers people a way to explore their lives and feelings. She uses poetry, not only as a form of expression, but as therapy to work through things. It’s a benefit others, she said, can also enjoy.

Writing poetry doesn’t require years of study, but it does take practice. Some of the forms can get fairly complicated, so starting with free verse (doesn’t need to rhyme or follow a strict form such as a sonnet or haiku) offers a way to explore poetry.

Calsyn, who hadn’t written in almost 20 years, found herself falling back in love with poetry after writing something for a reunion of her Campfire group. Since then, she has almost lived with a pencil in hand.

In some ways, it’s just like writing a letter to somebody.

“In my opinion, poetry is the most honest form of communication there is,” Lee said. “Particularly if a poem isn’t bound to some convention, it can reveal the writer’s innermost thoughts and state of mind. The poet can speak directly to the reader. Poetry, for me, has been a journey of self-discovery, and it both heartens me and humbles me that others identify with the feelings about which I write. I have always loved words and the myriad shades of meaning, the nuances, they convey. Poetry has greatly enriched my life and continues to do so.”

For more on poetry, or writing in general, consider attending a Highland Lakes Writers Club meeting. The group meets the 6:30-9 p.m. second Thursday of each month (with the exception of June, July and December) at the Marble Falls Public Library, 101 Main St. in Marble Falls. Go to www.highlandlakeswritersclub.com for more information.

PARKINSON’S DANCE

By R.L. Copple

Fingers

jerk to

a different beat.

Muscles

tighten in

a constant rhythm.

Feet

freeze in

a broken melody.

Body

sings its

own unique song.

GROWING UP

By Caryl Calsyn

I had to grow up—

a child I could not stay.

In becoming adult—

somethings slipped away.

I lost pure joy—

I forgot how to play.

LITTLE BOYS

By Caryl Calsyn

My house stays neat,

everything is put away.

No toys or games clutter

the living room floor.

My house is quiet

no little boys arguing,

laughing, or making noise.

Back then I thought

how nice it would be

to not have messes

to carefully step around,

while hushing toddler voices.

Now I think how nice

it would be to re-visit

the mess and the noise

of little boys

being little boys—

if only for one day.

WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN? 
By Caryl Calsyn

My neighborhood is quiet.

Where are the children?

They aren’t playing Hide

and Seek, Mother May I,

Simon Says, Red Rover,

or let’s pretend.

My neighborhood is quiet.

The children are inside.

They are playing video

games, Wii-fi-ing, You

Tubing, Facebooking,

or watching TV.

My neighborhood is quiet.

The children are missing.