Hugh Simmons received a BFA in writing and publishing in 1985, after which he pursued a career in social work. He has maintained a relationship with writing over the years but made it a top priority beginning in 2019, writing daily and attending workshops. One of the gifts of growing older is the appreciation of what to do with the time one has.
You can read Round Rock, Texas: September 1 2023 in the January 2024 issue.
Would you like to tell us a little bit more about your poem? For instance, how or why you wrote it, or perhaps provide some extra context?
My son sent me a couple of texts. The language was so rich I knew I had to do something with it. Living in Texas can be pretty disquieting, especially for a family like ours. Two dads, a son who’s out as transgender, interracial. We live in a pretty accepting part of Texas, which helps, but parts of the state government are quite malignant. My son’s texts offered a way to capture some of the experience of being here.
Do you have a collection of poetry or even a single poem that acts as a touchstone?
This can change over time. A poem I come back to a lot is, “A Small Story about the Sky” by Alberto Ríos. I love its clear language. Ostensibly simple, it carries quite a bit of emotional depth. I’m a sucker for art that’s direct, surprising, restrained, and emotionally rich. There’s a wonderful book of visual poetry called My God Is This A Man, by Laura Sims, drawn from language of serial killers. It’s pretty incredible. Very spare. Very disturbing. Don’t look at it too long!
If you didn’t write poetry, how do you think you might access the same fulfillments that poetry offers in your life?
I went through a long period without writing poetry after I got my BFA. Instead, I played guitar and co-wrote songs with a very good friend (also a writer). So, I guess that’s how I satisfied the imperative to be creatively expressive. And it was an imperative. Poetry is a better fit as I get older. It took some time to find my way back into it but I’ve been pretty diligent. A great thing about being older is knowing your time is limited. You can’t afford to dilly dally.
How do you revise your work?
I go away from a piece. I’ve had poems sitting unfinished for a year or more. When I come back, I want it to feel as much as possible like I’m seeing someone else’s work. It helps me to stay with what’s actually written and not be distracted by my own original associations. I review a piece looking for words, phrases, line breaks, etc. that have poetic potential, music, as it were, then build the whole from that. I love to delete things that don’t have life, revealing the things that do.
How or where or with what does a poem begin?
A lot of things. Often, I’ll sit and do a free-write just to get something down. I don’t worry about line breaks, grammar, spelling. I’ll just write nonstop. I get a lot of raw material from 60-second free-writes. Going away from and then back to a free-write, even just the next day, can be pretty surprising. As mentioned earlier regarding the poem in the January Pinhole Poetry issue, my son sent me a couple of texts. His language was so rich I had to do something with it. Once I looked up different kinds of rocks online with their definitions and made a poem out of that. A poem can begin anywhere. No wrong way to start a poem. For me, it’s the subsequent writing and revising, that’s where the action is.
How do you make space for poetry in your daily routine?
I have a full-time career as a social worker so this can be challenging. My son is older now and the parenting demands are less. That helps. I grab time when I have it. If I can say at the end of each day, I’ve had at least some time writing, I am satisfied. I’ve been pretty successful at taking advantage of windows of time. If a client cancels a session and I can’t fill that appointment, I’ll use that time to write. When I’m having coffee in the morning before work, I might pull out my phone and look at something I’m working on. Usually on weekends I have the luxury of more time. The point for me is write every day, no matter how little time there is to do it. Any amount of time is better than no time.
Do you belong to a writer’s group? If not, where do you find poetry community and feedback?
I have a wonderful friend and creative partner who I met 30 years ago in my writing program in college. We’ve been in bands together and co-written a lot of songs. He’s a very talented writer. We share things we’re working on, give each other feedback and support. I have another good friend who is a writer and we share things. I also have a close friend who’s an actor. His takes can be very interesting. We’re all in our 60s, which can be validating. I periodically sign up for poetry workshops and seminars. Having said that, I can’t find in-person workshops and seminars very easily anymore, which I miss.
In terms of poetic style or craft, is there a big question you are trying to find an answer for?
I’m afraid of writing structured poetry. Sonnets, etc. I’d really like to find my way past this block.