Come peek beyond the curtain

How to begin and when to end

There has been this big ask for more behind-the-scenes material, so this is a note page for a new section of ‘Bears, Bears, Bears.’ I also record demos of my poems in different stages to ensure they sound as intended. I have dozens of poems in note form that I haven’t finished yet. They tend to call me when they are ready to be completed. I don’t believe in the process of forcing a poem out; if it feels like it’s too hard to write, then it probably means the poem isn’t ready to be done. When I record, I also practice different deliveries, etc. First, here is a new poem I am still working through. It has a working title of ‘Steady That Shaking Heart.’ Then, there is a poem about crickets that is still in its infancy and finally, a workshop writeup. Let’s get into it. This is the first demo: