Aspen Writes Poetry

  The Thin End They say it softly, at first, with the oil-slick assurance of reason. The Act, they call it, like a play that's overstayed its welcome, its curtains faded, its script revised too many times to mean anything now. It's not about you, they say,  not the wheelchair user wheeling past the uncut curb. Not the mother, belly full, aching under a "staff only" sign. Not the pensioner, hands fragile as tissue, counting coins at the till while the queue glares. It's them, they insist, the others. The ones who shift shapes, swap names, stitch themselves into something new. Too much fuss, too much space. Surely, you can see that? But the blade is already out, its first stroke clean, deliberate. The cut barely stings, not yet. You, old man, will feel it when the lift breaks, and no one comes. You, woman, swollen with life, will feel it when the seat is gone, when the door slams shut. You, child with the slanted smile, will feel it in the playground’s whisper,  not...

October's Artocalypse Blog Carnival has brought together a fascinating collection of perspectives on the theme of deletion. Contributors from various creative backgrounds have shared their insights, each offering a unique take on how the act of erasing or omitting influences their work and personal journeys. Ironically it has taken me a lot of deletion and editing to put their amazing posts into justice. Please do read them as the pieces are so powerful and inspirational! One contributor, Sara Jakša , reflects on the inherent deletions within the creative process, particularly in writing and drawing. They discuss how the refinement of ideas and the choice of which paths to pursue are, in themselves, acts of deletion. While they may not consider themselves a deleter, they acknowledge that in choosing what to focus on, many ideas are left unrealised, emphasising the ongoing and implicit deletions that shape their artistic endeavours. Another perspective, by Kimberley , delves into th...