Beverly R. Rivera
Ask someone who they are. I never understood why so many people give information about what they do; their profession, their daily tasks, their mundane nuances of life. I'm going to tell you who I am. I am a poet. I was born this way. None of that simplistic "roses is red" bullshit, but none of that overzealous and over theatrical poetical cannot understand what the heck I'm talking about woman. I was born in the largest town in Delaware (yes; that is an oxymoron, considering it is the second smallest state); Wilmington. I often get upset if someone asks me where I'm from, and I reply, "the first state," and they respond, "the first state to do what?" Hmm...I guess I am random at times, because I just typed that into my bio. Any-who...I am a woman that loves, and has so much passion to give. I am a complete bibliophile. I will read until my eyes are heavy, red and have bags under them. I can care less if they hold groceries. When I was a child, I often woke up in the middle of the night to read my Bible by the night light. I would then grab any sort of literature that I can put my hands on. I am a realist. I am often confused with someone with a pessimistic tone, but that's okay. Its not what I'm called, its what I answer to. I answer to no one but the man above. I have a heart that is so big, this world isn't ready for it yet. I mean...its frigging huge. If I have it, its yours-but I'm never a sucker or a run over. I am straight up, in your face, don't ask for any specific apologies blunt. Often, this carries over into my humor. I say a lot of things which people want to say aloud. That means that I...am far from taboo.
I began writing when I was a child. End rhyme poems, mostly. In my teenage years, I began experimenting with free verse and as I matured and became a woman, I began writing both concrete forms and free verse of poetry. I love to study the different styles and writing instruments which creates and separates what a writer truly is. In my honest to God truth, you have to understand your language-including its origins to use words and have fundamental blocks of knowledge to write with. With that being said, I always read the dictionary. I probably doubt that you will beat me in Scrabble-whomever is reading this. I also am firm in grammar and spelling. I do not have a pet peeve for misspellings and inaccurate usage of grammar: I fucking loathe it. When you speak-when you use words; you are commanding an audience. If that audience is only solitary, you still have an audience. One should always take pride in their tone, spelling, grammar, voice and wordplay. No one knows how intelligent you are until you begin to communicate; this can be by writing or by speaking. "Dumbing it down" so to speak requires no intelligence at all. I rarely use text messaging language, even when texting or tweeting. I prefer the good old English language to do the trick.
Sometimes, I will have a vision in my mind of what to write. Often, I keep my journal with a pen nearby, just in case. I visualize words and capture them within my five senses. It is not just the words which you use to be a great writer; it is the way which you describe those words. If I was to write a poem about a leaf, for example, I would use the following brainstorm in my head:
Sight: The crinkled foliage in my hand, veins exposed and translucent. Pools of red dipped with orange. Reminds me of a sunset.
Sound: Crackling. A faint whisper in the wind.
Smell: Woodsy; aromatics of musks and earth. Soil and dampness
Taste: (Since I never tasted a leaf, I would imagine it) Dry and bitter
Feel: Thin, ancient paper reminiscent of hieroglyphics. Rough patches of stems under the pads of my thumbs. Dipped in the dew of water, silken and glides in my hand.
Like a photograph, I take a mental picture of what I am going to write to describe and animate the subject matter in my poetry. I often have experiences to build upon, or imagine subject matter as well. Poetry is about description, but its also about interpretation that can lean into a new experience or learning. If I do not know about my subject matter, I research it thoroughly. I understand and become that subject matter, so I am breathing it, feeling it, understanding it. Poetry always ends in delight.
So that pretty much sums me up. I'm a poet that just wants to write. Surely, one day I will be published. Who knows? I would like to start out with a chapbook. "There's not much money in self publishing," is a comment I often hear from the public. Well...money isn't everything; and my heart doesn't lie in dollars and cents. My heart lies in words. With words, I can move mountains, I can help rebuild the soul and I can cut one's heart with the sharp razor of my tongue. Surely, there is more power in words than there is power in the value of the ever changing dollar. Even after years to come, as my ashes become dust and I wither away-the soul of my poetry will be everlasting.
Now...onto writing. I have something in my head I just have to get out...
-b.r.rivera-taylor
http://beverlyrivera.blogspot.com
Twitter: 140 Characters of Pure Bliss @poetachica
Let's connect.
I began writing when I was a child. End rhyme poems, mostly. In my teenage years, I began experimenting with free verse and as I matured and became a woman, I began writing both concrete forms and free verse of poetry. I love to study the different styles and writing instruments which creates and separates what a writer truly is. In my honest to God truth, you have to understand your language-including its origins to use words and have fundamental blocks of knowledge to write with. With that being said, I always read the dictionary. I probably doubt that you will beat me in Scrabble-whomever is reading this. I also am firm in grammar and spelling. I do not have a pet peeve for misspellings and inaccurate usage of grammar: I fucking loathe it. When you speak-when you use words; you are commanding an audience. If that audience is only solitary, you still have an audience. One should always take pride in their tone, spelling, grammar, voice and wordplay. No one knows how intelligent you are until you begin to communicate; this can be by writing or by speaking. "Dumbing it down" so to speak requires no intelligence at all. I rarely use text messaging language, even when texting or tweeting. I prefer the good old English language to do the trick.
Sometimes, I will have a vision in my mind of what to write. Often, I keep my journal with a pen nearby, just in case. I visualize words and capture them within my five senses. It is not just the words which you use to be a great writer; it is the way which you describe those words. If I was to write a poem about a leaf, for example, I would use the following brainstorm in my head:
Sight: The crinkled foliage in my hand, veins exposed and translucent. Pools of red dipped with orange. Reminds me of a sunset.
Sound: Crackling. A faint whisper in the wind.
Smell: Woodsy; aromatics of musks and earth. Soil and dampness
Taste: (Since I never tasted a leaf, I would imagine it) Dry and bitter
Feel: Thin, ancient paper reminiscent of hieroglyphics. Rough patches of stems under the pads of my thumbs. Dipped in the dew of water, silken and glides in my hand.
Like a photograph, I take a mental picture of what I am going to write to describe and animate the subject matter in my poetry. I often have experiences to build upon, or imagine subject matter as well. Poetry is about description, but its also about interpretation that can lean into a new experience or learning. If I do not know about my subject matter, I research it thoroughly. I understand and become that subject matter, so I am breathing it, feeling it, understanding it. Poetry always ends in delight.
So that pretty much sums me up. I'm a poet that just wants to write. Surely, one day I will be published. Who knows? I would like to start out with a chapbook. "There's not much money in self publishing," is a comment I often hear from the public. Well...money isn't everything; and my heart doesn't lie in dollars and cents. My heart lies in words. With words, I can move mountains, I can help rebuild the soul and I can cut one's heart with the sharp razor of my tongue. Surely, there is more power in words than there is power in the value of the ever changing dollar. Even after years to come, as my ashes become dust and I wither away-the soul of my poetry will be everlasting.
Now...onto writing. I have something in my head I just have to get out...
-b.r.rivera-taylor
http://beverlyrivera.blogspot.com
Twitter: 140 Characters of Pure Bliss @poetachica
Let's connect.