Can you go through the step-by-step process of writing this poem from the moment the idea was first conceived in your brain until final form?
This is a short poem, and like most of what I write, was formed from a visual element from a place I was at. It was conceived while sitting, waiting for a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous to begin, a fellowship I don’t hide the fact that I belong to. This particular meeting was at a location which had comfortable sofas, and art on the wall. There was a newcomer sitting there, just starting at this Piccaso reprint, and also, the other art—so, I wanted to tell this person that sobriety can exist, be comfortable, take it in small steps, one day, one hour at a time, just like that painting you were staring at, was made—one brush stroke at a time, and it took a lot of brush strokes.
(Title Photo-Timothy Gager on 10-14-2018 and Above RIGHT Timothy Gager on January 3, 2014. Copyright permission for both photos granted by Timothy Gager for this CRC Blog Post Only)
I also wanted to say that to her that coffee is a mainstay at meetings, so drink it, and not anything else.
I don’t know if I had a specific process with this particular poem. It probably began with the first two lines, followed by free writing. Then, I balanced the lines, the stanzas, tossed out what didn’t work—made sure the beginning and ending of the poem worked to my liking. When I fine tune I like double meanings, for example “Sit on the sofa, legs curled under…” as one line it’s the person’s legs, but if you take it a line at a time, it’s the sofa…not making the person comfortable, the physical wooden legs curling under, or “view the oil paintings, hung boats and fields” The paintings are hung, the boats are hung, the fields are hung. It’s general, and it’s specific to the art.
(Image I Told Him: A Complete Portrait of Picassa, 1932. Gertrude Stein sitting on a sofa in front of a painting of herself by Picassa at her residence at 27 Rue de Fleurus.)
Where were you when you started to actually write the poem? And please describe the place in great detail.
I went home and started the poem. My work space is a desk with a laptop on it, in the corner of my living room, faced away from the television. The desk area is full of papers, and they surround the laptop on three of the four sides.
What month and year did you start writing this poem?
I have absolutely no idea. Anywhere after 2014 (BELOW) and before 2017
How many drafts of this poem did you write before going to the final?
This poem took 8-10 drafts. I edit on the computer so there are no pen marked papers. I work with a lot of musicality and after some time I fairly aware of my poetic voice. I’m fond of the delete button for the final draft if things don’t work out. (BELOW: Timothy in March of 2015)
Were there any lines in any of your rough drafts of this poem that were not in the final version? And can you share them with us?
Heck, I’m getting old. I have no idea what was edited out.
(BELOW: Timothy in December of 2016)
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What do you want readers of this poem to take from this poem?
That there is hope after surrendering.
Which part of the poem was the most emotional of you to write and why?
The ending. It’s the awe of a journey’s beginning and a journey, in general. I’ve very grateful from where I’ve come from, and I can get emotional about it.
BELOW: Timothy in March of 2017)
Anything you would like to add?
Keep writing people. There’s a lot of very important things going on.
Sobriety
It can exist
drink coffee
milk, three sugars,
stirred with a straw.
Sit on the sofa,
legs curled under
view the oil paintings
hung boats and fields
thousands of brush strokes
thousands
Timothy Gager is the author of fourteen books of short fiction and poetry. Every Day There Is Something About Elephants, a book of 108 flash fictions, selected by over fifty-five editors, was released by Big Table Publishing in 2018. He’s hosted the successful Dire Literary Series in Cambridge, Massachusetts since 2001 and was the co-founder of The Somerville News Writers Festival. He has had over 500 works of fiction and poetry published and of which thirteen have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His work has been read on National Public Radio.
001 Backstory of the Poem
“12 – 2014” from the poetry collection BEFORE THE DROUGHT by Margo Berdeshevsky published by Glass Lyre Press on September 15, 2017
https://christalcooper.com/001-backstory-of-the-poem-12-2014-from-the-poetry-collection-before-the-drought-by-margo-berdeshevsky-published-by-glass-lyre-press-on-september-15-2017/
#002 Backstory of the Poem
“82 Miles from the Beach, We Order The Lobster At Clear Lake Café”
by Alexis Rhone Fancher
https://christalcooper.com/002-backstory-of-the-poem-82-miles-from-the-beach-we-order-the-lobster-at-clear-lake-cafe-by-alexis-rhone-fancher/
#003 Backstory of the Poem
“Orange”
by Barbara Crooker
https://christalcooper.com/003-backstory-of-the-poem-orange-by-barbara-crooker/
#004 Backstory of the Poem
“Modern Matsushima”
by Sonia Saikaley
https://christalcooper.com/004-backstory-of-the-poem-modern-matsushima-by-sonia-saikaley/
#005 Backstory of the Poem
“Side Yard”
By Ellen Foos
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/5-backstory-of-poem-sidewalk-by-ellen.html
#006 Backstory of the Poem
“The Ringmaster”
By Susan Sundwall
https://christalcooper.com/006-backstory-of-the-poem-the-ringmaster/
#007 Backstory of the Poem
“That Night”
by Leslea Newman
https://christalcooper.com/007-backstory-of-the-poem-that-night-by-leslea-newman/
#008 Backstory of the Poem
“June Fairchild Isn’t Dead”
by Alexis Rhone Fancher
https://christalcooper.com/008-backstory-of-the-poem-june-fairchild-isnt-dead-by-alexis-rhone-fancher/
#009 Backstory of the Poem
“The Gift of the Year with Granny”
By Charles Clifford Brooks III
https://christalcooper.com/009-backstory-of-the-poem-the-gift-of-the-year-with-granny-by-charles-clifford-brooks-iii/
#010 Backstory of the Poem
“The Natural Reflection of Your Palms”
by Scott Thomas Outlar
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/chris-ricecooper-caccoopaol.html
#011 Backstory of the Poem
“After Diane Beatty’s Photograph “History Abandoned”
by Anya Francesca Jenkins
https://christalcooper.com/011-backstory-of-the-poem-after-diane-beattys-photograph-history-abandoned-by-arya-francis-jenkins/
#012 Backstory of the Poem
“What I Learned This Week”
By Angela Narciso Torres
https://christalcooper.com/012-backstory-of-the-poem-what-i-learned-this-week-by-angela-narciso-torres/
#013 Backstory of the Poem
“Holidays On ICE”
By Jan Steckel
https://christalcooper.com/013-backstory-of-the-poem-holiday-on-ice-by-jan-steckel/
#014 Backstory of the Poem
“Colors”
by Ibrahim Honjo
https://christalcooper.com/014-backstory-of-the-poem-colors-by-ibrahim-honjo/
#015 Backstory of the Poem
“Ode To Disappointment”
By Marilyn Kallett
https://christalcooper.com/015-backstory-of-the-poem-ode-to-disappointment-by-marilyn-kallet/
#016 Backstory of the Poem
“Reliquary”
by Beth Copeland
https://christalcooper.com/016-backstory-of-the-poem-reliquary-from-the-poetry-collection-blue-honey-by-beth-copeland-published-by-broadkill-river-press-on-by-beth-copeland/
#017 Backstory of the Poem
‘The Swallows of Barcelona”
by Marlon L. Fick
https://christalcooper.com/17-backstory-of-the-poem-the-swallows-of-barcelona-by-marlon-fick/
#18th Backstory of the Poem
“Arterial Discombobulation”
by Juliet Cook
https://christalcooper.com/18-backstory-of-the-poem-arterial-discombobulation-from-the-poetry-collection-malformed-confetti-by-juliet-cook-published-by-poets-haven-and-distributed-by-crisis-chronicles-pre/
#19th Backstory of the Poem
“Stiletto Killer . . . A Surmise” from the poetry collection ENTER HERE
By Alexis Rhone Fancher
https://christalcooper.com/19-backstory-of-the-poem-stiletto-killer-a-surmise-from-the-poetry-collection-enter-here-by-alexis-rhone-fancher-published-by-kyso-flash-press-on-may-7-2017/
#20 Backstory of the Poem
“At Last I Can Start Suffering”
By Charles Rammelkamp
https://christalcooper.com/20-backstory-of-the-poem-at-least-i-can-start-suffering-by-charles-rammelkamp/
#21 Backstory of the Poem
“Wind Chimes”
by Marla Shaw O’Neil
https://christalcooper.com/21-backstory-of-the-poem-wind-chimes-by-marla-shaw-oneil/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIjMNNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZQFdo94O7LKMil17FlOgVUVubHSHQ8S5Ftp4hyk0xbWHntvLahBMGmvfA_aem_tt05lJXulO3YYa6hZ1eoOw
#022 Backstory of the Poem
“Studying Ariel”
by Julia Gordon-Bramer
https://christalcooper.com/22-backstory-of-the-poem-studying-ariel-by-julia-gordon-bramer/
#023 Backstory of Poem
“Jesus Zombie”
by Bill Yarrow
https://christalcooper.com/23-backstory-of-the-poem-jesus-zombie-by-bill-yarrow/
#24 Backstory of the Poem
“Brag 2016:
by Telaina Eriksen
https://christalcooper.com/24-backstory-of-the-poem-brag-2016-by-telaina-eriksen/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIzGJdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZeayRlw6zYAOyP5qo6As9vRo5uNe7KOuLd5Jx3Up6Vu1iQKKnrFGJNL0Q_aem_7xQOqqtavclwCkvKupxujA
#025 Backstory of the Poem
“It is only Yourself that Bends – so Wake up!”
by Seth Berg
https://christalcooper.com/25-backstory-of-the-poem-it-is-only-yourself-that-bends-so-wake-up-by-seth-berg/
#26 Backstory of the Poem
“Devil In the Details”
by David Herrle
https://christalcooper.com/26-backstory-of-the-poem-devil-in-the-details-by-david-herrle/
#27 Backstory of the Poem
“Carmen Polo, Lady Necklaces, 2017”
by Gloria Mindock
https://christalcooper.com/27-backstory-of-the-poem-carmen-polo-lady-necklaces-2017-by-gloria-mindock/
#28 Backstory of the Poem
“Two Deaths”
by Connie Post
https://christalcooper.com/28-backstory-of-the-poem-two-deaths-by-connie-post/
#029 Backstory of the Poem
“Faces in a Crowd”
by Mary Harwell Sayler
https://christalcooper.com/29-backstory-of-the-poem-faces-in-a-crowd-from-the-poetry-collection-faces-in-a-crowd-by-mary-harwell-sayler/
#030 Backstory of the Poem
“The Risking Point”
by Larry Jaffe
https://christalcooper.com/30-backstory-of-the-poem-the-risking-point-from-the-poetry-collection-dont-take-candy-from-strangers-by-larry-jaffe/
#031 Backstory of the Poem
031 September 24, 2018
Mark Lee Webb’s “After We Drove”
https://christalcooper.com/31-backstory-of-the-poem-after-we-drove-by-mark-lee-webb/
#032 Backstory of the Poem
“Astral”
by Melissa Studdard
https://christalcooper.com/32-backstory-of-the-poem-astral-by-melissa-studdard/
#033 Backstory of the Poem
“I Have A Bass Guitar Called Vanessa”
https://christalcooper.com/33-backstory-of-the-poem-i-have-a-bass-guitar-called-vanessa-by-robert-craven/
#034 Backstory of the Poem
David Sullivan’s “Paper Mache Peaches of Heaven”
https://christalcooper.com/34-backstory-of-the-poem-paper-mache-peaches-of-heaven-by-david-sullivan/
