This column by Tom Radzienda, an instructor in poetry and culture at Srinakharinwirot University, aims to encourage your interest and develop your skill in creating poetry. Poetry is a combination of visualisation, observation, imagination and creative use of language. Discover your poetic side, too!

The father of poems William Shakespeare is considered the father of British poetry. Writing 400 years ago, Shakespeare set the standards that many readers expect from English poetry. Shakespeare wrote hundreds of excellent poems and was also famous as a playwright. Walt Whitman is the most likely candidate for father of American poetry. Whitman lived and wrote during the troublesome times of the American Civil War in the 1860s. His war poetry revealed his passion as a poet. By creating a truly unique style, he broke free from British dominance over American poetry. Being a father of poetry is not easy, nor is being an ordinary father at home. Imagine raising a bunch of kids who eventually grow up and don’t understand you, or worse yet, don’t appreciate or respect you. It sounds like a thankless job. With Father’s Day in Thailand this month, now is an excellent time to understand, appreciate and respect your father in a creative, poetic way. Another man’s shoes The expression “to wear another man’s shoes” means to see things from his point of view. For the present poem, really put on your father’s shoes (when he’s not home) and walk around the house for a while. Do the shoes fit? Are they comfortable? While doing this, consider the deeper meaning of this activity. Put on his hat Put on one of your father’s hats, or maybe one of his neckties. How do you look? It might be difficult or feel strange to do this, but try it and see what feelings arise in your heart. Take note of your feelings before, during and after these attempts to know your father in new ways. Reflections This is the reflective part of the poem. How well do you truly know your father? See how many of these questions you can answer straight away, off the top of your head. If you can answer all of these questions quickly, then you are fortunate to know your father quite well already. On the other hand, if you can’t answer very well, you need to “interview” your father without him realising your intentions. In the next couple of days, innocently ask him some questions to complete your interview. Then, use those details to create an authentic poem that truly shows your father and how you feel about him. What is your father’s favourite colour?   What is his favourite food?   Where is his favourite place at home?   Where would he most like to travel?   Which hobby makes him the happiest?   What is his strongest value?   What makes him most worried?   What is his favourite song?   What makes him most happy?   What does he deeply want from life?   Metaphorical father Use your imagination to consider your father in several new ways. Complete the following chart with metaphors to understand and describe your father. Metaphor Example Write a line of poetry a musical instrument bass guitar Dad’s voice is a bass guitar when he wants his dinner a colour     an animal     piece of furniture     a sport boxing Nobody can knock down dad, he’s a real boxer a street     nature     dessert apple pie   something in the sky     Putting together the poem You now have all the raw materials to create a poem for dad for father’s day, or for any day. The important thing is to select the best details from the above exercises and put them together into a coherent poem. This means that the lines connect together well, and the poem has unity. Organise your poem into groups of 2, 3 or 4 lines, rather than just a list of descriptions. Time To be sure you finish this poem promptly, set a stopwatch and allow a maximum of thirty minutes to write the poem. Yes, that puts pressure on you, so get started… now! The reason for the time limit is to focus completely on your father. While writing, sit in his favourite chair, or somewhere where you feel his presence. The gift of poetry After the poem is written, type or hand-write it neatly. Make it into a card, or develop a creative gift. For example, design your Father’s Day poem to look like his favourite newspaper. Include a picture of you and your dad, a caption for the picture, plus your poem. Mind you, fathers don’t last forever. Don’t let another year pass before you place poetry in your father’s heart. Tom Radzienda is an instructor in poetry and culture at Srinakharinwirot University. Teachers can contact him to present poetry recitals and poetry writing workshops at their respective universities and schools. You can send your poem by email. Mark the subject line: Poet Tree and send to this address: learningpost@bangkokpost.co.th Visit Tom's poetry column at http://www.bangkokpost.com/poetry

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Last modified: December 15, 2003