Where do poems come from?

I went to a really nice poetry reading by the poet Adam Giannelli last night in Franconia. He was so pleasant, self-effacing, honest, and earnest in his work and in the Q/A after. His poetry is very accessible, which makes it a really good choice for a small community venue as well. 

The questions most people posed to him were of the usual sort, focusing on his beginnings as a writer. There was a pointed question about his philosophy of teaching poetry, which, while a good question, really seemed out of place, but he handled it well. Then came the question that made me cringe a bit. The person asking it had already asked a couple of other questions, but this one was odd: do poems come to him in dreams? He fielded the question with good humor, and strangely enough, part of one of the poems in his full collection, Tremulous Hinge, has lines that did, in fact, happen in a dream. But still, odd question. 

Poems don't usually just "arrive," they are responses to inner thoughts, to events, to art, to other poems, etc. But rarely, or so I'd assume, do poems come as dream-gifts. I've had entire verses happen in my sleep-state, but I can't ever recall them quickly enough to write them down. Usually, that happens when I've been writing and revising a lot; the brain continues to process words and meter. And yes, for me, anyhow, when the rare bit of verse happens in a dream, it's always metrical. No free verse for my subconscious mind! Poems take work. The few that "appear" are the result of doing lots of work, being in the zone, and are fruits of labor that has taken a long time. 

But that all said, it was really nice to see so many people engaged in his work. People brought copies of his book to follow along as he read, and he graciously gave out page numbers. 

The Sundays in the Barn with Bob guest reader series starts this Sunday, 3pm, at The Frost Place. If you are around, come on up and hear some great poems by David Graham, the 1996 poet in residence. And bring some poems/songs to share! 

Have a good day, friends. Hugs all around. Keep the faith. Stay safe.

C