When it comes to writing poetry, one rule of fiction
applies: There are several types of genres to choose from. You can write
romantic poetry, horror poetry or fantasy poetry. Writing futuristic poetry is
another option – even poets like to envision what kind of world we may one day
live in.
And sometimes, it’s not even our world that we write about
when we write poetry. It could be any kind of world at all, one of our own
making that can exist in fantasy poetry. This is where the poet has the chance
to “escape” to a world where we can only dream about certain things actually
happening. A cure for a disease? It’s there. A magical potion to take the burn
scars away? Find it in the mysterious cellar. Something to use against
nightmare monsters compromising our ability to sleep? It’s just a wish away.
Writing fantasy poetry offers the poet another benefit: We
have the chance to step into a world where we can be ourselves without
criticism. If we always dreamed of traveling the world as a dancing magician,
it can happen with fantasy poetry. Another benefit is that writing fantasy
poetry allows the poet to be seen by others for who we are on the inside –
someone who is big, brave and magical – and not how we are on the outside –
scarred, broken or slow.
That’s one thing writing fantasy poetry does for me. With
fantasy poetry, I can be beautiful and not scarred or I can hear instead of
being deaf. And I can do anything with two good strong hands when I only have
one hand that has all five fingers on it (the other hand has three). My poetry
chapbook, Follow That Dream, may have poems about what it’s like to be
in a hospital so much and teen angst, but it also has fantasy poetry where I
got to be a maiden or a sea captain. Poetry brought those worlds to life.
Fantasy poetry allows me to create the kind of world where the scarred and
disabled are not so limited and completely accepted just as they are.
When the poet sits down to write, no matter what kind of
poetry that will be written, it is a chance to create a world where anything is
possible, even a cure. Even acceptance. It’s a world where magic happens, and
that’s the greatest kind of world to escape to of all.
About the author: Dawn Colclasure is a writer who lives in Oregon. Her
articles, essays, poems and short stories have appeared in several newspapers,
anthologies, magazines and E-zines. She is the author of seven books, among
them BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We
Survive as Writing Parents; 365 TIPS
FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to Turbo
Charge Your Creativity; Love is Like
a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion and the children’s book The Yellow Rose. She is co-author of the
book Totally Scared: The Complete Book on
Haunted Houses. Her Web site is at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/.
About the book: Follow that dream. Take a few moments to read poems meant
to seek refuge from the harsh realities of life, from pain, confusion and
loneliness. Allow these poems to take you on a journey of wherever your
imagination may lead you. The poems in this book share coming-of-age struggles
and the fantasies created in order to offer a temporary escape from the real world.
Follow That Dream
ONLY $5.99 in paperback
And
ONLY $2.99 for Kindle
Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to be a guest on your blog, Mark. I enjoyed checking out the rest of your blog and book info. Good luck with your books!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dawn and good luck to you too!
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