Mairead Byrne

A PROCESS FOR GERMINATING POEMS OF SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS BY STEVE KOWIT

To prime yourself for writing a poem of social consciousness, do the following:

1. Start clipping articles and photos from your daily newspaper that sadden you, anger you, or in some other way move you. Keep the articles in a folder and the photos where you can see them.

2. List the social issues about which you feel deeply.

3. Recall an incident of mockery directed at someone for being old. Infirm, poor fat, disabled, homosexual, socially awkward, or "ugly."

4. Recall someone you knew who had been touched by war.

5. Recall encountering someone who was homeless and/or desperately poor.

6. Recall an injustice you witnessed.

7. Make a list of other "political" incidents or encounters in your life, things that have either happened to you or that you have witnessed that involved such issues as injustice, intolerance, exploitation, war, or cruelty.

 

 

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