Feature: S. Thomas Summers Day 6

And Fame I’ll Covet Not

for my boy

Is this the poem I’ll be known for?
Must it detail the death of a pregnant deer
and the ravine that becomes her grave?
Or should it capture the toils of silent spiders,
their silk gently threading moments to memory?
All I possess now – anticipation.
Soon, we’ll splash through pools of deep shade,
crouch behind tree trunks like children
cowered behind God’s legs – but we’ll spring
when light trickles through tangled boughs,
dabbing our skin with warmth. And then,
as if sparked by fire, we’ll dash around beech
and maple as quickly as frightened squirrels.
You’ll dare me to catch you. These bones shall try.

© S Thomas Summers

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Q&A

Q: How do you deal with writer's block?

A: Never had it. I write. Every day, I write. If I have a block to overcome, that block is time. I possess small quantities of free time. Therefore, writing takes place at unusual times: in between classes, driving to and from school, playing with my son, laughing with my daughter, holding my wife’s hands. I’m always writing. I just don’t always have a pen in my hand.


Q: What advice would you give beginning poets/writers?

A: Write, write, and write. Don’t stop. Don’t doubt. Write. Look for what everyone sees, but fails to notice. That’s where you’ll find poetry. Look again, and poetry will begin to find you.