Behind the façade

We're finding inspiration behind the facades today in issue 173 of your poetry shot

Back behind
the tall façades, stairwells
walkways and forgotten corners lie,
sans make-up, real beauty
is found here.

There’s this wonderful book by Paul Smith. The title of the book says it all: You Can Find Inspiration in Everything. The playful subtitle says even more: And If You Can’t, Look Again. It’s very true. There is inspiration to be found in everything. All you have to do is look. I found that out when I was doing a year of creating and publishing a poem daily. I had to find inspiration every day, and I did. It even became a habit. And I like it. Especially when it’s less obvious. That’s why I like to wander beyond the glitz of the facade. To the back where the loading docks are, the technical spaces, the stairwells. The La Défense business district just outside Paris offers many such places. That’s where I found the image above and the poem that comes with it.

Where do you like to find your inspiration?

PS: I know there is no cédille in the English word facade, but I like its touch of frivolity, so I used it on purpose in title and poem. My gift from France to you this weekend :).

---

Poetics in life

As I mentioned Paul Smith above, I wanted to share some of his interesting views. This is a nice video about how and what he collects. If you were to send him something for his collection, what would it be?

---

---

Poetry elsewhere

Finding inspiration seems hard when you are not feeling on top of your game, but even ‘in the hole’ there’s inspiration to be found. Just read one of the magnificent books of Haruki Murakami and you’ll know. And if you read the poem Spending Time in the Hole by Jason McBride, you also know how important finding that inspiration and sharing it with others really is.

Spending Time in the Hole

Even a call to discount orange juice on Black Friday can inspire beautiful poetry. James Maynard proves that with this American sonnet How did the orange juice make me so mad - again? It not just is an example of finding inspiration in everything, it also raises an interesting, and important point. Enjoy:

How did the orange juice make me so mad — again?

We end this issue with a poem inspired by a winter flower. I love the capture of that image here, and the poem shows how finding inspiration journeys from seeing something and associating it with an idea to a wonderful piece of art. The poem star shower by MK CREEL in this case:

star shower