Poems For My People

How were these poems written?This collection, Poems for My People: Community, Volume 3 was written primarily in a live setting. While normally the live settings I write in with my typewriter range from coffee shops, food shelf waiting rooms, cideries, university tables, and other public spaces where I perform typewriter poetry busking, this collection is a little different.I include 109 poems, all of which were written only while I sat in Yellow Bike Coffee in Duluth, Minnesota, during April 2023 - July 2024.While perching with creative alertness at my typewriter, sipping an iced maple syrup latte with coconut milk, a bottomless mug of black coffee, or an herbal tea blended locally, I spilled all I could (that wasn’t tea or coffee) onto the typed pages of this book. Each poem is either inspired by individual requests, by setting the tone for myself in prayer, or by what it’s like to take in the atmosphere of the shop.Individual Poems:For each of the poems written for an individual person, someone has especially commissioned me to write it. I’ve asked specific questions of the person making the request to determine what they want the poem to be about. I take notes of what they tell me, and then, I compose a quick draft in my notebook, in pen-usually a navy blue one from my favorite stationery shop, a Japanese one called, Muji.After I create a draft, I type the poem, making minor edits (sometimes the result of a 'mistake' from typing) on my blue Smith Corona Classic 12 typewriter. Finally, I share the poem with the person who requested it, keeping a copy for myself to include in the upcoming collection. The whole process from interview to handing over the poem typically takes under 30 minutes.Prayer Poems:For the prayer poems, I skip the note taking, drafting, and editing in the notebook steps, and I simply type what’s on my heart, directly onto paper with my typewriter. It’s crucial to my personal creativity and practice in poetry that I center my words and remember why I write and why I love writing.Place Poems:For each of the place poems, I intended to capture the mood, environment, atmosphere, and overall aesthetics, and ethos of Yellow Bike Coffee. As you read, imagine being in a coffee shop. Notice the other people enjoying, studying, chatting, with their cups of goodness. Pay attention to what lights up your senses. Engage with the space and how the baristas interact, how the cafe is decorated, how you feel...