Interview with Diane Lobre, First Friday Open Mic at Dagny’s – August 4, 2023
By: Carla Joy Martin
There was an intimate gathering at Dagny’s Coffee Shop on Friday, August 4, 2023. We enjoyed poetry performances from Shelley Evans, Diane Lobre, Carla Joy Martin, Don Thompson, David Chase and Christopher Robert Craddock.
Diane Lobre read her original poem entitled, “The Writer” which beautifully captures the process we writers undergo when we create.
The Writer
By: Diane Lobre
Words fall onto a page,
conveying a message
intended or not.
Lines of symbols to
portray a thought,
form an image.
Build a concrete
impression out of nothing.
A jumble of letters.
Understood as language,
Letters become words,
Words become sentences.
Comprehension floats,
like motes in the eye,
needling the edge of the mind.
Swirling ideas form a vortex
pulling concepts in focus
to describe a scenario.
Scene upon scene,
writing the novel life.
Q. What inspired you to write your poem? What is its back story?
A. My process is pretty much how I describe it in my poem. I don’t feel I wrote it from a conscious point of view.
Q. Do you like to read poetry? If you do, what poets have influenced you? Who have messages you connect with, or styles you admire?
A. I love Mary Oliver and Maya Angelou. Both have gentle voices that have great impact.
Q. What advice would you give to other folks wanting to create poems? How do you make a poem? Do you have a special place you go to, or music you listen to, etc.? Give us a glimpse into your creative process.
A. Allow yourself to write, write as the thoughts come, don’t force it. I like it quiet when I write. I don’t have a special place, it’s a spontaneous moment when I sit and “download.” I often have no idea what will flow onto the page.
