NOTICING

I'm the  kind of person who jumps from one interest to the other. The only thing that has held my interest in a constant manner is fly fishing and fly tying. Some how, these two things got in my blood at an early age and have stayed with me. Other interests tend to come and go, then gain my interest again after months or years.

I've had an interest in poetry for a long time, but never seriously studied it. A few months ago I decided to do some poetry study and reading. I have been checking out arm loads of poetry books from the county library. Some of the poets I struggle reading. I have read poems by poets that seem to be nothing more than drunks throwing words on a page. The words and sentences make me squint like I'm looking into the sun; I want to turn my head and look away. If these poet's purpose is to confuse, then they have succeeded with me. I often find myself shaking my head and asking what and why?

I have found some poets and poems that I do enjoy. I enjoy many of those who have written poems about nature. I love the imagery that these poets use. I like the poems that help me see, hear, smell, and taste the things they write about. I like the poems that make sense. I'm not opposed to trying to figure something out, but too much poetry that is more like some type of riddle can make me think too much when I'm not in the mood to think. Sometimes I want to read poetry to feel the words, to hear them roll around in my brain, to see in my imagination what I see when I read the words. I have the same problem when it comes to card and board games. If it is a game where I have to think too much, then it's not as fun and relaxing to me. I want to play the games of chance; roll the dice and take the results. Then there is no ego involved and the smartest and fastest don't always win. I don't mind reading poetry that makes me think and feel, but the simple stuff that is easy to understand is what I like right now.

Along with the reading and studying of poetry comes the desire to write it. I have written a few poems (or what I thought were poems) over the years. I have this desire to write more now. I have been looking for ideas and with my love of the natural world, that is where I look for and often find inspiration or ideas for what I want to write. I find myself looking and trying to see things in more detail. I think I am beginning to notice things that I have taken for granted in the past.

The last few days as I have driven to work, I have noticed an amazing thing. As I drive east towards the mountains at 7:45 AM, the sun at this time of year is still behind the mountain range. The light from the sun provides a glowing backdrop. This glowing, as I call it, changes color, depending on atmospheric conditions. If there are high clouds, the glowing can be a warm color, somewhere in the spectrum of yellow, orange or red. If the atmosphere is bright, clean, and clear, the glowing is more to the blue spectrum. If cumulus clouds are hanging around the mountains the bottoms are usually a pale mauve or deeper purple color. If stratus or cirrus clouds are present, they can take on several colors. I've seen them look the color of pink salmon meat or purple cotton candy.

Lately, what has stood out is the way the sunlight at that time (7:45 AM), taps the tops of each high peak along the mountain range. I can't see the sun because it is still below the mountains. The mountains stand as giant shadows of darkness with just enough dawn light to make out the faintest of details. The light from the sun, however, shoots through some of the back canyons and illuminates the very tips of the peaks all along the front range. My eyes follow the highlights along the tops of the ridges jumping from one peak to the next until I am slapped awake with the light that grasps the majority of one of the prominent peaks and rock faces on the north end of the mountain range. This peak and its rocks are covered with snow. The sun's focused light makes it stand out in clean brilliance. I can't stop my eyes from following the sun's rays skipping along the ridges and  teasing me to follow until my eyes and the sun's light slam into the rock face of this majestic mountain. I have lived here my whole life, but my search for ideas and inspiration for a poem have opened my eyes in a "new" way. I like it.

I have a plain paper journal that I will be using to write down the things that I see, hear, smell, taste, and feel as I wander around, or just drive to work. When I get brave, I will share some of these things on this blog. Maybe the musings will turn into poetry.