Erase

I am in the middle of many things right now: near-end of semester rush, a quasi-serious health crisis that I don’t have enough information (i.e. test results) to go into at this juncture, putting final touches on my second book for its September release (I have seen the 4 mock-ups of my cover, which my good friend and amazing graphic designer/artist Eddy Roberts has commissioned for me), etc.  I’ve been trying to find quiet, peace.  I’ve been engaged in a lot of prayer, which is something I do every day, but so often half-heartedly.  I’ve been trying to practice mindfulness, deep breathing. And it’s working: despite all that I have circling around me right now — busy schedule, many demands, fear — I feel centered.  I still have so much on my plate, but I’m relatively calm.  And happy.

My creative writing students practiced erasure poems on Monday.  I love erasure poems — they’re so beautiful and fun.  I think the concept of found poetry really inspired my students (or, at least, they liked coloring in a college class).  My students created some really wonderful erasures, and I’ll leave you with a few of my favorites:

 

original text from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

 

original text from the Urban Dictionary: Fularious Street Slang Defined

 

original text from Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus

 

original text from Matthea Harvey's "Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form"