A Writer's Notebook, Day Nine-Hundred-And-One

 I am stretching to be more revealing in my poetry, to be more straightforward.  It is a struggle, at times, since I am often inclined towards a certain cleverness, and have a habit of aloofness in my work.  I am not certain where this came from, to be honest, or why it is so present in my work, and I do not think it is a bad thing, but, I do believe I need to learn to do things that create more space for connection.  I need to give the reader a chance to get inside the poem, at times.  I want to let the work be more vulnerable sense, to provide a space in it for intimacy and connection, and I know that some of my natural tendencies need to be considered in that context.  I think it is possible to do what I am seeking within the framework of my voice, but it is necessary to discover a path, and that may require first becoming more comfortable within this new register before I can integrate it more fully with other, more developed, aspects of my craft.

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