About the Poems - BW
About the Poems
by Blake Walmsley "Telegram" poems: a crazy strict form. I’m a free-verse, doesn’t replenish the water in the ice cube tray after taking the last ice cube kinda person, so don't know why I’m attracted to this form. "Confessional Poem Composed under Torture": it's an ass-backward approach, but sometimes I think up titles and then try to write something that fits the title. Always thought “Confessional Poems Composed under Torture” would be a funny title for a book. Plus I like confessional poetry. Have you read “Broken Gauges” by David St. John? And confessional poetry is risky, unlike the regular avant guard stuff. "The Man Whose Life Became a Delusion": inspired by a line I misheard from “Angel Dust,” a song by New Order I used to dig. Great guitar. The actual line I later discovered is “the man whose life became an illusion.” Oh well. "Announcement": inspired by an unsuccessful manufactured attempt at a rennaisance I witnessed in downtown Flint Michigan while growing up in the late-80s. But things never go as expected the first time, right? Years later, I now think of Flint as a failed prototype for downtown Shirlington Virginia.