First of all, if you haven’t read Uptalk by Kimmy Walters I recommend you do so. Even if you don’t like freeverse poetry at least give it a try (borrow my copy! Have a read!) Ignore the reviews on the link above if that kind of thing annoys you, by the way. I guess indie poetry will always attract that kind of indie poetry reviewer. If it makes you roll your eyes, just listen to me instead: Read it. It’s good.
I’m kind of hit and miss on freeverse (read any highly-commented freeverse on Deviantart and you’ve read them all), but Kimmy Walters hit it every time for me. I keep going back, just opening the book and rereading a poem or two. I can’t help it. I love the directions they take, and the images they invoke. I love the spaces where they’ve been hollowed out and sculpted down into these streamlined, wandering ideas.
Aaaaand, I thought I’d try it out for myself. Here is poem 1 of at least several.
Ballet Lessons
She said
You have to make it look easy
– Not you
(to me)
I’ll tell your fortune
by this bend in your feet
by this arch in your knee
you’ll always be graceful
without trying
She said
Don’t make it look too easy
the audience won’t appreciate it
they’ll get bored
And when I grew up
and put away my ballet shoes
and only point my feet to admire them in the mirror
I think about audiences and
making it look harder
Oh that girl, she makes
paying the bills look so easy
there’s no conflict there
no tension
no character development.
Is this supposed to be believable?
I’m glad that nowadays
we have direct debits.