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Kelly Lock is an eighth grade
Communication Arts teacher and Instructional Coach for the St. Joseph School
District. She has been published in several journals, including North
American Review, Alaska Quarterly Review and Margie: The American Journal of
Poetry.
Advice to writers:
The best advice I can give a burgeoning writer is read, write, and revise
continually. Read established poets, journals and books about the craft of
writing. Schedule time in your day, even if it is ten minutes, and write,
write, write. The final point is revision. Young writers are often hesitant
to revise because they feel their work is good the first time. Part of this
stems from the fact that the words on the page are often very emotional and
tied to the writer�s thoughts and feelings and as such they are happy with
the way the words feel on the page. Remember, if your audience is anyone
other than yourself, then the poem probably isn't the best it can be on the
first or even third draft. Before revising, separate yourself from the poem.
Let it sit for a week or month, then come back to it with a critical eye.
Find a writing group, reach out to established writers and/or teachers and
ask for feedback. The more feedback the easier it is to revise. The more you
read, write and revise, the better you'll become.
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Saturday mornings
in May
cling to me like chunks of horsehair
caught on the barbed-wire fence.
In the garden, Mom slices dirt
with the hoe’s sharp corner.
Dad grooms the horse, the heavy
bristled brush in one hand,
the other offering comforting pats.
My brother and I watch five-line skinks
climbing from the window wells
along the basement wall to sun themselves
on rocks and logs in the flowerbed.
Slowly scraping our shins across
the warm sidewalk, hands outstretched,
poised to pinch our fingers
just behind the base of their heads.
We pounce, miss our target,
grab the bright blue of their tails
left flipping in our hands, their bodies
scurrying into the weeds.
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