Reply to the Question: "How can You Become a Poet?"

take the leaf of a tree trace its exact shape the outside edges and innerlines memorize the way it is fastened to the twig (and how the twig archesfrom the branch) how it springs forth in April how it is panoplied in July bylate August crumple it in your hand so that you smell its end-of-summersadness chew its woody stem listen to its autumn rattle watch it as itatomizes in the November air then in winter when there is no leaf left invent one

By: Eve Merriam.............