"A Found Poem"-Kaxine Kumin

"A Found Poem" by Maxine Kumin

Maxine Kumine was born an American poet and author born in 1925, and died in February of 2014 at the age of 88.  She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1981. She has received many awards in her life including  the Eunice Tietijens Memorial Prize for Poetry in 1972, and the Pulitzer Price for Poetry in 1973. 

Whenever I caught him down in hew stall, I'd approach.

At first he jumped up the instant he heard me slide
the bolt. Then I could get the door open while
he stayed lying down, and I'd go in on my hands 
and knees and crawl over to him so that
I wouldn't appear so threatening. It took
six or eight months before I could simply walk in
and sit with him, but I needed that kind of trust.

I kept him on a long rein to encourage him 
to stretch out his neck and back. I danced with him
over ten or fifteen acres of  fields with a lot
of flowing from one ttransition to another.
What I've learned is how to take the indirect route.
That final day I felt I could have cut
the bridle off, he went so well on his own.

Kumin in this poem paints for us the art of writing a poem. To help convey her message she uses the analogy of horse growing up and progressing into adult hood, often known to her as "the final day I could cut the bridle off." When first begging to write poetry Kumin takes the process slow, she doesn't want to jump right in and throw word vomit on the page, she wants a well constructed piece. The moment she doesn't take the time to think and reflect on her poetry she'll awake the horse, or loose the reader. When approaching the horse she crawls on her hands and knees, she does the same for her reader.  She wants to seem relate-able and on the same level with them. It took six to eight months before she was comfortable enough to walk in and sit down with the horse. This time was she spent editing and perfecting her piece until finally she was able to sit down and feel satisfied. Her being able to sit down with the horse after 6 or 8 months shows an immense amount of trust. In her poetry she wants to build a relationship with the reader.  She doesn't want her work to be one dimensional, she wants it to have deeper meaning, passion, enthusiasm and a sense of commitment, just as she was committed to becoming familiar with the horse, she's committed to her audience. But her final revisions aren't over with, she keeps the horse on a long rein and dances with him.. They dance and dance over acres of land.  Kumin although is satisfied with her piece, is not fully satisfied. She works with it again and again, revising, rewriting, and perfecting.  The day has come that the horse must run free, the bridle must be cut and he let be. As the horse runs, so must her piece, it's time to let the world see her creation.  After much dedication, commitment, and passion her complete work is ready for the critiquement of the public.  It is ready, and so is she!