"Go to a book you love. Find a short line that strikes you. Make that line the title of your poem. Write a poem inspired by the line. Then, after you’ve finished, change the title completely."
I chose a line from a poem by Julie Bruck who is one of my favourite poets. The photo is of Ted when he still had both legs and of what happened that caused him to lose one.
Speak to Me of Flying
I sang like a bird, he wanted to fly
(Julie Bruck— I Was Married to an Astronaut from The Woman Downstairs)
You talk of flying over the Sahara
incredible expanse of nothing that was everything
moon illumination gold dust sand
this was before I knew you
before I knocked out my voice
with too much of every kind of smoke
fly me to the moon I'd sing
leaving on a jet plane
you and the night and the music
the man I love
all the songs that brought me to you
inexorable contrail of desire
your flying your crashing
my airports my wending
all our rough landings
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