Sunday, February 24, 2013

Interview with Jennyy Zirkelbach, Poet

Jenny Zirkelbach is my niece, the daughter of my late husband's younger brother.  I first discovered her poetry when she read a poem at her grandmother's funeral.  I decided to interview this budding talent.

TZ When did you begin writing poetry?

JZ  I discovered that I had a talent for writing about four years ago, but I began to develop my interest and passion for poetry last year.

TZ What inspired you to start writing?

JZ My inspiration was derived from the talent I saw in myself.  After I had written my first poem, I said to myself, "Gee, that's pretty good!"  I've always been a very emotional, passionate person about love, life, and even society.  I have a lot to say, and I found a way to express that.  After discovering my talent for writing, I realized that I could say more through my poetry than through any other means.  The people who know me best would say that I have no "filter" and they are right.  Poetry allows me to express whatever I want.  So my ultimate inspiration is society, and the more I write, the more inspired I become.

TZ Have you published any poems, or do you write for yourself?

JZ I am not yet published; however, I write not only for myself but for others.  I want to be heard.  I want to know that my writing is something that others can relate to.  I want the people and things in life that inspire me to become inspired by me.

TZ Do you have any goals, such as doing a poetry chapbook, entering contests, etc.?

JZ I just know that I love what I write, and I believe others will love it, too.  That is my goal.  I want to be published, and how this is achieved is irrelevant.  If I see a contest, I will enter it.  At this point, I am ready to show the world what I've got.  Also, I am currently a full-time communications major.  My eudcation ties into this very strategically.  I am a very skilled academic writer, and poetry is not my only area of interest.  My goal is to be able to utilize my communications degree in a field that pays me to do what I love. I even have a book idea that I'm working on.

TZ  What's your writing process?  Do you write regularly or just when something inspires you? 

JZ I write regularly and when I'm feeling inspired.  I am trying to build my collection of poems so I tend to force myself through my busy schedule to sit and write.  As for inspired writing, this is a time when I have to write.  Writing is my coping mechanism.

TZ  Any advice for poets?

JZ I believe that the best advice is the product of our own imagination.  Nobody can tell you what you can or cannot write about.  Poetry is often personal.  It is typically developed from our own experiences and holds an intrinsic meaning.  Let your passion drive you to create your own perception of perfection.  If someone else doesn't think your work is prefect, then your work is not meant for them.

TZ Here is a poem by Jenny.

Unhinged
Many names, many faces
Sometimes cowardly, sometimes courageous
Not yet an angel, not quite the devil
Sometimes foolish, sometimes practical

Time tells tales, time hold secrets
Fearfully open, fearfully reluctant
Suspended by antiquity, suspended by destiny
Fearful dependency, fearful liberty.

Exploring the illuminated, exploring the obscure
Bound by integrity, testing the impure
Ablaze is the desire, frigid is my patience
Frozen by purity, scorching with complacence.

Balancing the level, rocking the boat
Deliberating the waters, staying afloat
Improvising for survival, utilizing the tools
Improving my chances, searching for renewal.

Of the many places, of the many chances
Sometimes calamity, sometimes advances
Sometimes relic, sometimes futuristic
Not quite the devil, not yet angelic.



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