I enjoy re-visioning (not editing). It’s fascinating to see where a poem will lead you, if you let it. It helps to play with words, with sounds, with punctuation: change happens. The following poem changed meaning from the draft to the second revision: suddenly the grandmother was no longer thinking about kisses from former lovers, but from her mother-did her mother kiss her, did she kiss her mother-these thoughts triggered by the way her grandson, who has autism, kisses her by not physically kissing her, but by her kissing him. <\/p>\n
This poem is far from completion.<\/p>\n
Any comments about your process of revision welcomed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Give Grandma a Kiss I always wear mauve lipstick, give he leans in, all 2 1\/2 years of him, He leans in without hesitation, give grandma a kiss<\/em><\/p>\n His heart organic, knowing what it is give grandma a kiss<\/em><\/p>\n Grandma wants to see underneath give grandma a kiss<\/em><\/p>\n Later, my daughter-in-law, the nurse, The hurt is mine. The gift: unwrapped, \u00a9Sherry Lee Give Grandma a Kiss I always wear mauve lipstick, give He leans in, all seven years of him, knowing He leans in, without hesitation, vulnerable. give grandma a kiss<\/em><\/p>\n a heart organic, knowing what it is give grandma a kiss<\/em><\/p>\n Grandma wants to see underneath give grandma a kiss<\/em><\/p>\n Later, my daughter-in-law, the nurse, The hurt is mine; the gift unwrapped, \u00a9Sherry Lee The Kiss, More Than a Kiss<\/p>\n I always wear mauve lipstick, give a heart organic, knowing what it is But Grandma wants to see underneath Later, my daughter-in-law, the nurse, The hurt is mine; the gift unwrapped, \u00a9Sherry Lee I enjoy re-visioning (not editing). It’s fascinating to see where a poem will lead you, if you let it. It helps to play with words, with sounds, with punctuation: change happens. The following poem changed meaning from the draft to the second revision: suddenly the grandmother was no longer thinking …<\/p>\n
\n\t\tfor Ethan<\/p>\n
\nGrandma a kiss<\/em>\u2014<\/p>\n
\nknowing more than I know
\nafter 67 years not knowing
\nif my mother kissed me.<\/p>\n
\nsilent, vulnerable.
\nI mark his tender forehead with a temporary
\ntattoo: my kiss his kiss. Like no kiss
\nI can remember. <\/p>\n
\nto hold breath a millisecond; a mime
\nneeding to be understood. <\/p>\n
\nhis innocence, to reach what she lost;
\nshe was a girl afraid to speak.<\/p>\n
\nquestions what she thinks is a scratch
\non his forehead;
\nhow has he hurt himself this time?<\/p>\n
\nvisible, transparent.<\/p>\n
\nJune 11, 2015
\nSecond revision<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\t\tfor Ethan<\/p>\n
\nGrandma a kiss\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n
\nmore than I know
\nafter 67 years, and thousands of kisses.<\/p>\n
\nI mark his tender forehead with a temporary
\ntattoo. My kiss his kiss. Like no kiss
\na man has given me. Words
\nnot necessary language. His way
\nof love, spontaneous, silent<\/p>\n
\nto hold breath a millisecond; a mime
\nneeding to be understood. <\/p>\n
\nthe innocence, to reach what she lost
\nor never experienced.<\/p>\n
\nquestions what she thinks is a scratch;
\nhow has he hurt himself this time?<\/p>\n
\nvisible, transparent.<\/p>\n
\nMay 25, 2015
\nFirst revision
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nGrandma a kiss<\/em>\u2014
\nHe leans in, all seven years of him, knowing
\nmore than I know after
\n67 years of thousands of kisses.
\nHe leans in, without hesitation. I
\nmark his brown forehead with a temporary
\ntattoo. My kiss his kiss. Like no kiss
\na man has given me. Words not
\nnecessary language. His way
\nof love, spontaneous, silent<\/p>\n
\nto hold breath a millisecond; a mime
\nnot needing to be understood. <\/p>\n
\nthe innocence, to reach what she lost
\nor never experienced.<\/p>\n
\nquestions what she thinks is a scratch;
\nhow has he hurt himself this time?<\/p>\n
\nvisible, transparent.<\/p>\n
\nMay 19, 2015
\nDraft<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"