Not the most bait-click friendly title, I know, but this post is about filling a gap — even as if fills the gap between my usual Substack content and what comes next.
Very meta, I know. My master’s degree in literature is finally useful 🤭
I have spent the month of November compiling a new poetry manuscript for a spring launch. The first folio of nine poems is plucked from the archives, creating a foundation for the narrative. The second folio is a mix of old and new, as is the third. I spent too much time trying to jam old poems into the narrative arc, stubbornly telling myself that I didn’t need to write any fresh poems, that I had everything I needed, that I didn’t need to go poke the emotional bear.
But the false notes only got louder. I couldn’t leave those gaps and just skip to the next poem. So I started writing what I’m calling the lacuna poems.
I usually share new poems on Instagram, but I’ve been keeping the new poems to myself. Mostly because this new clutch of poems is being crafted to move the story along, they won’t make sense without the poems that come before and after. These poems pick up the same themes I am threading throughout, but they serve as bridges to get readers to the next big moment.
For kicks, I am sharing one with you now. If you’re so inclined, let me know what Easter eggs you see hidden in the lines or whether you agree that this poem can’t stand on its own.
Bonus points to anyone guessing the Greek mythological story being referenced.
