Jay Hopler in my class!!!!!

So I really love my creative writing class. Today Jay Hopler came in and talked with us about writing and creating images. I'm sure you don't know who Jay Hopler is, I definatly didn't. Jay is a poet from SLC and I think DC, but I could be totally wrong. He writes these amazingly images that just grab you and refuse to let go. Below is a poem by him called Gardening. He told us the story behind the poem. He had gone into his family doctor and was told that everything he enjoyed eating he couldn't eat anymore and everything he enjoyed doing he couldn't do anymore. He was really depressed and the following poem came out. (Please note that I do not own this poem or anything associated with it. It is copywrited by Jay Hopler.)

Gardening

1/

What else is one to do — when one has so little and so little to look

Forward to? Today, I staked the tomatoes; tomorrow, it’s going to

rain.

2/

A cool, wet spring and everything rotten —.

3/

Forget about your bones,

This wet gets in the soul,



The spirit, whatever you

Want to call it, that pilot



Light we’re all so proud

Of, and makes you wish



Its sad dim flame would

Just hiss-out — the water-



Logged fronds of the tin

Palms dripping, the gate

Swinging, sodden, on its

Hinge.



4/

The thunder down its heavy leather

Lays and from the ruined garden by the lake a hazy murmuration

lifts into the rain-lit

Air, blurs into the mists that swirl there,

Then settles in thin wing-swept breaths

Back

Into the maidenhair —

5/



I have an idea, let’s all live forever!

6/

If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, maybe I’ll water the tea roses; maybe

I’ll weed something.

As soon as he read this one to us, I fell in love! He had a few others that he read to us and I was enthralled with him and his ability to create images. I want to be like that. I asked him when he knew he wanted to be a poet and not just a writer. His response was a little sad, but very honest. He was in college and set on being the next Steven King. He had always loved the horror genre and had his mind set that he was going to become a fiction/horror writer. There was one problem...he coudln't write fiction. His professor said somthing to that effect, but that he wasn't too bad at poetry, maybe he should try that instead.

I guess we should hunt down that professor and sing his/her praise! Because of that, Jay decided to go to poetry and what a treat! Everyone should go get his poetry and read it! Here is a link to his website. Please go check it out! http://www.jayhopler.com/