Daniel Medvedov

How to become a poet

in few days

Madrid, 2010
There is a way to become a poet in
few days. Nine times nine, a double
gestation, and so, you have
everything: that it is sufficient to be
born. Nine means "new": each number
has a universal meaning. The first nine
days are crucial for the birth of a poet.

First day

Do nothing. Would ever be possible

for a non-poet to do that? Yes. It is
possible. Doing nothing has, as an
action, its meaning and signification:
not thinking, not feeling, not moving.
First of all, do not move. Second,
try to eliminate any desire about
becoming a poet. Third, leave passing
away all possible idea on poetry.

Second day

Look at your hands. Every finger

has a name. Do not ask me in what
language do they have a name: this is a
childish question. What we try now is
to become mature persons, grateful of
what we are, of what we have and of
what we do.
Have you, by chance, a labyrinth on
your hypnothenary eminence of your
right palm?
If not, look for somebody who may
have it. You need to have a look at this
curious sign of the hand, the signature
of a poet. Try to draw a labyrinth and
teach yourself the way in which it may
be drawn with a cross and eight inter-
cardinal points.

Third day

Close your eyes. Do your signature.

Are you able to sign with your eyes
closed? You do not need to sign your
name. Just pretend that there it is
written not only the name, but the
entire destiny of that self who, now, is
writing it. In poetry, the poets begin
their labor with signing the paper. Do
this eighty one times.

Fourth day

Creativity, Imagination and Fantasy

are quite different worlds, not only
different words. The poet can create
from nothing but he has to imagine
from a world of truth where everything
does exist in an archetypal form.
By the way, fantasy is mere
illusion, because nothing exists in the
world of fantasy.
Poiesis: the ancient Greek word for
creation.
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