Sometimes when I write a poem it feels like I’m marching my past, present and future across the page to my reader’s eyes. Other times, the content is pulled from outside sources: the imagined relationship between two people on the bus, a particularly emotive news article, the way the trees sway in the breeze.

I would contend that even when the subject matter is totally separate from me and my experience, a bit of me still slips onto the page. She sneaks in, even when I don’t imagine her there. It may that no one else can see her. But I can.

What about you? Are you able to separate yourself from the subject matter in your poems? If you’re writing about a character, is it just that or is there a personal touchstone in your poetry? Let’s talk about it down below. .

See you down in the comments!