In late-winter, when the holiday glow is long gone and the promise of summer is impossible to hold, monotony can dull the senses.

We're in the middle of things, and my writing mind feels lazy. You too?

I'm doing my best to embrace practices that get me in the groove.

Lately I've started each writing session by reading the work of another poet. This allows me to slip into a new language and pace, which then informs my own writing. Many times the exercise yields blah blah blah, but I'm still exercising the writing muscle. Writing, even "bad writing," is never wasted.

I choose readings at random, paging through an anthology, and have been happy to discover new-to-me poems, some of which have led to "keeper" lines and poems of my own. Song by Adrienne Rich, and The Night, the Porch by Mark Strand have been especially inspiring.

Try this: Read someone else's work, then write something, anything, of your own.

Don't think, just write. Let the pen explore phrases, ideas and connections. See where the words take you. Don't try to make sense. Or do. Let go.

Reading other works sets a fresh tone and pace. You slip into a new cadence, and that allows the mind to explore new ground.

Try it, and let me know where this writing practice takes you.

Try these others too:
Try This: Month by Month
Try This: Postcard Poems
Try This: Alphabet Poem
Try This: Morning Read & Write
Try This: Book Spine Poetry
Try This: Poetry Poker