2 Poems About Rewriting

Hello, Hello, Poetry Peeps!

Thank you, Buffy, for hosting Poetry Frday this week! (The link to Poetry Friday is at the end)

Our topic this time 'round is REWRITING, RECYCLING.

I've been crushed for time these last few weeks, navigating between getting out the vote for the California primary, a trip to see my dearest relative in Northern California (I live in Southern CA) who is going through a very difficult time, a trip to see our wonderful daugher-in-law and son (aka our kiddos) in Albuquerque, and taking off in a few days on another trip with the aforementioned kiddos!  

I'm excited...and, okay, exhausted. (Aren't we all?!?)

So, instead explaining how I rewrite, here are two poem about rewriting:

A WRITER ON HALLOWEEN by April Halprin Wayland

I push open

the heavy door.

I take out the cleaver, the machete,

the switchblade, the scalpel, the penknife,

the X-acto knife.

 

I plunge my arm into the oily black pile of drafts

and haul one out.

And though it screams a thousand deaths,

I stab it over and over and over with the cleaver,

hacking it in two.

 

Then I amputate.

I sever. I cut.

I carve.  I slice.

Finally,

I mince words.

 

I take a breath and step back to admire my bloody work.

Then…I drop it back into the oily depths,

pack away the knives,

wipe the black spots off my desk

and leave.

 

I close the heavy door.

I will come back.

Tomorrow.

To do it all

again.

©2026 April Halprin Wayland all rights reserved

The next poem is based on one session of my 10-week picture book class. That day is all about rewriting. It's my least favorite class to teach, because basically I'm showing my students that it's not always a walk in the park. As most of you know, it can be a long slog to get a book published (New Year at the Pier took nine years from first draft to publication). 

One of my favorite exercises in this class, to lighten things up (after they are stunned by how long it takes, how every detail matters, and how hard it can be), is to hand each student a can of Play Doh and give them seven minutes to make a character—human, animal or something else. 

When time's up, each student shows the class what they made. This part is fun. 

Then, every student moves one chair to the right, sitting in front of someone else's creation. Their assignment is to make one major change to the character.  I give them six minutes to do this. 

When they are back in their seats, I say:"Congratulations--you've just been edited!" 

Then each student shows us what their "editor" did, and shares how they felt when their beloved creation was changed. 

It's a fun way to think about this process.

CHANGE by April Halprin Wayland

I pinch a pink pig,

gash a green grape,

coil a coral curl,

roll a red rope,

bend a blue bow,

swerve a cyan swan,

then share what I make!

 

But...

hey, don't change that!

No pig wears a hat!

No swan puts rouge on!

Oh, wait—that's a squid.

I like

what you did.

©2026 April Halprin Wayland all rights reserved

Here are three questions for you:

>Do you love or hate to rewrite? 

>How does your critique group help you make a manuscript or poem better? 

>How many times did you revise this week's blog post?

I can't wait to read your answers.

Thanks again, Buffy, for hosting!

posted with love and a little help from Sadie, our hilarious pup:

catching some zzzs with her favorite suffies, Peacock and Skull

"C'mon," she says, on our hike

"Stop posting so we can play!"

#toobusy #rewriting #poemaboutrewriting