Where Next?

So, back on 8th December last year, first blog post ever, this is what I said:

With redundancy looming, creating the prospect of having some time to myself, I feel it's time to get myself sorted out. Maybe I have enough decent material to form the basis of a first collection so part of the idea behind the blog is to establish definitive versions of everything I've written to date, polished up for publication.

The other issue for me is I feel at some sort of crossroads writing wise. I've explored formal verse mainly; rubbed shoulder with the tribal elders of New Formalism; hung out on its backstreets with their baby boomer overgrown boho wannabees - maybe it's time for a change. So, I thought it may be useful to reflect a bit on how each of my poems came to be, what I learned when writing them, what worked and what bombed. Maybe that way I'll work out - where next?

It has been interesting to reflect on the fifty or so poems produced to date and those reflections have taken me all over the place, from memories of boyhood, to meditations on my lost faith and most of all a celebration of the many roads we have traveled together as a family. Other poems reflect my love of paintings and images, some record the shock and awe of a middle aged man being catapulted into cyberspace. Technically, they record my attempts to write material relevant to this new age, but using traditional form; socially they reflect the development of on-line friendships and collaborations, some which have lasted ten years or more

My initial instinct that I have reached a crossroads in my writing I think was well judged. In many ways the ideas and techniques which have sustained me over the last ten years have run their course. Technically I want to move beyond writing poetry which is essentially accentual syllabic. It would be fun to experiment further with pure syllabics, building on the kinds of writing I was producing in my twenties; equally though, having a go at a looser, purely accentual style might be interesting too. 

In terms of material, then my notebooks have quite a lot of undeveloped material in them. There are at least two substantial poems - 'War Letters' and 'Lunch with Miranda' - which deserve to be completed. Then there are other more sketchy ideas such as the notes towards 'Upland Garden' and 'Lismore Fiellds', those are also possible starting points. Over the last six months of 'day-time solitude' I have rediscovered my love of country walks, much  'food for thought' there as well.

 If I do decide to continue with the idea of doing a Humanities M.A. next year, then I have some thoughts about basing the 'creative project' around a 'spoof' anthology of heartfelt material produced at the behest of an imaginary Midlands Arts organisation. That would involve writing both prose stories and poems in the style of different writers, all of that sounds like an opportunity to take the piss out of various manifestations of  'the arty' lunatic fringe while making some interesting points about regional culture and 'englishness' as it is now.

For the next year or so, while Laura is still at college and Gill is working towards not working, then there are limitations to how much we can travel. After then, I am looking forward to traveling together on 'paths not taken' in Europe and beyond. Go on Melvyn, ask me -

 'Finally, Mr. Wickes, what is the vehicle, technically speaking, that you have found to be most effective in your poetic development?' 

'Well, Melvyn, although you might assume from my body of work to date it's the sonnet; I would have to say, on reflection, it's this vehicle in the future which is likely to become increasingly influential......