Inspiration Is Everywhere (If You’re Willing to Look)

- A chapter from How To Write Evocative Poetry -

If you want to write good poetry, you need to read more than just good poetry. Don’t get me wrong, it pays to analyse and enjoy the greats. But don’t limit your options for inspiration. Read some ‘bad’ poetry and question why you don’t like it. Ask yourself how you would convey the same meaning/symbolism/feeling as the piece in a better way. Hell, take another look at the poems in this book and improve upon my work. Express what you think I am trying to express in a more concise manner, one that is unique to you. But don’t stop there. Read fiction of all kinds. Read autobiographies. Read viral Tweets. Listen to music of all genres and podcasts interviewing a variety of unique people. Watch movies, animes, documentaries, and advertisements. Got to a gallery and a sculpture park. Sit in nature and embrace unfiltered reality. Sit in silence and observe your thoughts. The more variety of your inputs, the more tools you will have to draw inspiration from when it comes time to write.

Similarly, be open to expressing yourself in different ways. You may be a poet, but perhaps you want to play with paints, or dance, or music, or some other form of self-expression. Perhaps that poem feels forced, not because you are ‘a bad writer’ but because that poem is in fact a painting that is desperate to be expressed as such. Who knows, perhaps after you are done painting, the words will form, and the poem will naturally come. Or not. Either way, be open and try other forms of expression as a supplement to your writing.

Mojito the Bandito came just following a viewing of ‘Rango’ a trippy animated kid’s comedy-western. That night I dreamt of the movie and awoke to the poem almost fully formed in my mind. I wrote it down the moment I woke and then came back to it later for editing. This poem is not my usual style or theme, but it does serve as an example of the impact of different forms of inspiration aiding creativity. 

Mojito The Bandito

Mojito the Bandito,
On the run from the law.
Hired an impersonator,
So in two places, he can be saw.

Committing crimes,
But seen with an alibi.
The adventures he had,
His schemes weren’t shy.

The cartels took notice,
Alas it couldn’t last,
Told Mojito to stop,
Or his head they would blast.

But Mojito wasn’t stupid,
He had a plan to enact,
Told his impersonator to wait,
Then it was Mojito’s time to act.

He shot the man himself,
Displayed his body on the town’s wall.
Made the cartels happy,
And Mojito attended his own funeral.

Now he rides free,
A gun at his side.
Named Mojito no more,
His face he must hide.

Beware the masked bandit,
The criminal with no name,
He will kill you where you stand,
And leave with no shame.

The poem Complement The Future was inspired by a viral photo series in which a photographer took a picture of their subject. They then complemented the subjects, telling them they are beautiful and took a second picture. Many of the resulting photos are contrasted against one another, revealing just how impactful a complement can be.

I wanted to capture not only that feeling, but also the foresight of the photographer in implementing this approach and creating this set of pictures. The photographer effectively delved into the future, chose their words, and brought that perception of the future to life. Now, to be clear, I have no idea what the photographer was actually thinking or intending – but ultimately that doesn’t matter. Their work moved me and inspired this poem, and for that I am grateful. The point is, be open to inspiration coming from everywhere and at any time.

Complimenting The Future

By complementing the future
she crafted the present.
Her words revealing a truth
others couldn’t yet see.
Not for lack of trying,
but because she hadn’t yet spoken.
The truth was merely a dream,
waiting for her to birth it into reality.
Now here, its eternal nature is manifest.
The future, now present, informs the past,
and thus her words were true before she ever spoke them.

The initial spark for A Devil Resides came in the form of an image I saw online, that had the caption ‘A devil resides just under the skin’. That line triggered a string of memories of books and movies that involve a character teetering between choosing what is right and choosing what their inner devil wants. From there, it was a matter of introspecting upon my own life and discovering those movements in which I was tempted towards selfishness. Finally, the decision to turn this into an ABAB rhyme structure came from the easy follow up second line ending with ‘sin’, which also solidified the theme of the piece.

A Devil Resides

A devil resides
Just under my skin
Forcing upon me
Words of sin
Thoughts so close
They seem to come from within
Making me question
If I am him

Screamed threats
Of pain and chagrin
Whispered promises
Of how I can win
All I need do is
Let him in
Let him take over
And let him begin

I feel so alone
In my original sin
The darkest calling
Coming from deep within
Is there any wonder why
I run to gin?
It seems better to drown
Then to turn on kin

I’ve hurt people before
And my apologies run thin
But would you prefer hear them
From a jail or an inn?
Nightly I dream
Of an alternate twin
Me without a curse
Just love and a grin

Recently, I have taken to actively question and introspect upon the traditions and norms of our society. Rose came to me via one such session during the lead up to Valentines Day. I saw an ad that featured a bouquet of flowers and it inspired a question, ‘why do we give something that is dying?’. This led me down a rabbit hole of thought that ultimately resulted in a poem.  

Rose

The moment
A flower is given
It’s dying

It’s beauty
Wilting

It’s colour
Fading

It’s scent
Dulling

So why then
Do we associate
A rose
With romance?

Perhaps
The transience
Is
The point

‘I love you
As you are
In this moment
And when this flower
Inevitably atrophies
I will gift you another
And another again
So you will know
That in that moment
And in every moment
I love you
Always’

Summary

Inspiration is like pouring concrete to create a path. You need to ensure that you have enough raw ingredients - music, movies, information, nature, conversations, etc - to complete the job. But you also need allow the concrete to set - silence and time - before it can be walked upon.

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Read next:
Silence, Sensitivity, and the Spark of a Poem

Truth First: Emotional Honesty in Poetry

Don’t Force It: Let the Poem Come to You

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This chapter is from the book How To Write Evocative Poetry