The Villages - April 2021 - 50

{ FOR THE

Love

OF POETRY }

PENNING THEIR LINES
WITH PASSION:

THE POETRY DISCUSSION WORKSHOP CLUB
STORY BY RICA KEENUM | PHOTO BY ROB WILKERSON
They love the repetition and flow, the rhythm of
a poem come to life - a heartbeat made of words.
Whether silly, soulful, prolific or merely amusing, poetry is an art.
The Poetry Discussion Workshop club meets to make
and share it. Marc Rissman came to the club when he
moved to The Villages nine years ago.
" When I joined, there were maybe 25 people and
now there are about 60 (on the roster), " he said. " I'm
the moderator at the moment. It's not a nonprofit; it's
just a group of people who get together to share original poems. "
It's also not a critique group, nor is it academic in
nature. It is a space to explore the page, to be inspired.
" We sometimes talk about events - like National
Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, her reading at
the recent inauguration - so dynamic, " Rissman said.
" Then we pass out poems we've written. There used to
be more critiquing, but we have less time
now with more members, and I'm not
sure people want that anyway. "
Members are free to play with
style and structure - whether perfect rhyme, free verse, sonnet or haiku.
Although Rissman has long loved the
challenge of a rhyme scheme, he's currently trying his hand at ballads.
" I've stepped out of my comfort zone, " he said. " Sometimes
someone will read a poem that
inspired them to write their
own version, or we might
offer prompts for the next
meeting - write a poem
about a holiday, for example. People may not
follow the prompt, but
it gets them thinking. "

50

APRIL 2021

After visiting a Western art museum, Rissman began a series of poems about the West, and he now uses
photos he finds in art magazines to help him write on
the theme. He also notes that being in the presence of
other poets has been helpful, creatively.
" I used to be in the Arizona State Poetry Society, and
that was my first real exposure to other poets, " he said.
" Attending monthly meetings really enhanced my interests, and that continued when I moved here. "
It's a sensory experience - hearing the arrangement of words and pondering the images they conjure
gives fuel to a poet's fire.
" It has exposed me and other members to different types of poetry as well as getting us to think about
things in different ways, " Rissman said.
Members are published poets as well as those just
learning to dabble. Many, like Rissman, have always
enjoyed poetry, writing bits here and there. Some poets
write to tease the mind, but for others, it's a deeply
personal venture.
" I'm amazed at what people share, " Rissman said. " You think to yourself, 'I never
would've thought this person experienced
that.' And to share it with others - simply
amazing, and very moving. "

I've stepped out
of my comfort
zone. Sometimes
someone will
read a poem
that inspired
them to write
their own
version.
~ Marc Rissman



The Villages - April 2021

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The Villages - April 2021 - Contents
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