Life of a PnQ Poet - Thomas

Life of a PnQ Poet allows members of PnQ to interview the poet of the fortnight. Please keep your questions respectful and if the PnQ poet wishes to abstain from any questions, remember they may do so without explanation. Have fun and ask away!

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Thomas, master of free flow, welcome to the spotlight.
If you don't know who I'm talking about, mates, check him out:
Http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/author.html?id=359780

He's had quite a few front page winners, but hasn't posted a poem since the end of August...

Phantasmagoria
by Thomas

I apologize for interrupting
your daydreams,
their radiant colors coming
to life before your blue-rimmed
eyes painting by number,

the ones being green, a grassy patch,
a young boy's baseball cap,
twos flickering in the yellow sunlight
the brightness of a candle flame
through a dark restaurant window,

threes drowning beneath the waves
of an untamed ocean, sinking
like stones to the bottom to rest with
the brown fours and black fives,
and just as you dipped the brush

to paint further beauty into the world
I've stirred you, blended your imagination
into a mixture of each color on the palette
and the daydream is gone,
free to roam your white-cloud sky like a bird
with wax wings.

...mhm first off:

WHY IS YOUR POETRY SO DAMN AMAZING?

AND WHY DO YOU WRITE WITH SUCH A PASSION?
WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS ON THE FRONT PAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE???

is Thomas your name?? orrr just screen name? I'm sorry if my question is a bit stupid, lol.

what inspires you?
how do you manage to write a creative piece with an original thought while you are feelingsad and just wanting to let it all out?

WHY IS YOUR POETRY SO DAMN AMAZING?
I wouldn't go as far as to say it's amazing, I can accept praise when it comes, but criticism is more important to me. I don't think I'll ever reach my full writing potential, however, only practice can make it better. So I appreciate that you enjoy my poetry, that's the reason I write, for others to enjoy.

AND WHY DO YOU WRITE WITH SUCH A PASSION?
It really depends for me, whether I'm writing with, or without, inspiration. My poems that have personal experience behind them tend to be more passionate than the ones that I'm writing for the sake of writing. I think, if people write from their heart, anything can be passionate.

WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS ON THE FRONT PAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE???
I don't really know, but I appreciate that people feel my poems are good enough to nominate and vote for. So thank you to the judges and other site members.

is Thomas your name?? orrr just screen name? I'm sorry if my question is a bit stupid, lol.
Thomas is my name, not a stupid question at all though. I've changed my screen name on here a bunch of times.

what inspires you?
Life in general, specifically experiences I've had or stories others tell me. Most of my recent poems I haven't posted on here have been based on society- slam poems focused upon drugs, teen pregnancy, and topics like that.
I'm also inspired by other poets.

how do you manage to write a creative piece with an original thought while you are feeling sad and just wanting to let it all out?
Well, most of my old poems on here are pretty sad, I wouldn't say they're my most creative pieces, as they're rather morbid at times, and the point of writing them was simply to get my feelings out.
But now, if there's anything wrong, I try to come up with my own metaphor for life, for how I'm feeling, so that I can base a poem upon that. If not through that process, I tend to let my mind wander for awhile, and eventually a line will pop into my head that I can begin a poem with.

Thanks for answering my questions ! :)
I do believe you are such a great writer, God bless ya!

Yo Thomas. I had great pleasure getting introduced to your work when I was part of the judging panel for the front page contest. You certainly wrote some winners. I've also been shat upon by your insane rapping prowess.

1. Do you rap much in real life?
2. What's your favourite rhyme?
3. From memory, you seem to write a quite a bit about being old/getting old/remembering early years, despite your apparent youth. Why is that?

I wouldn't say I "shat" upon anyone with my rapping haha, but it's something I enjoy immensely.

1. I don't rap out loud, so much as I write it. I have attempted to rap some things I've written, but it's not as easy as I used to assume. There's the skill of writing, and the skill or being able to rap, and without both, it's a little difficult to fulfill the action 100%. I have memorized a few rap songs so I can sing/rap along to them, or impress people with my ability to retain lyrics/information, but that's the majority of my real-life rapping.

2. Favorite rhyme... That's an excellent question.
For my favorite that I've ever used, I'd say-
"My fingers covered in rings, like I collect 'em call me Sonic
I'm addicted to this sh*t, like my mind is Hook'd on Phonics"

By a signed, or mainstream rap artist-
"And sh*t I'm doin' this year? insanity,
Made the beat then murdered it, Casey Anthony"- Childish Gambino

3. Well, I tend to think older than I am. I don't necessarily mean I act that way, 'cause I certainly don't, but I know what I want in life, and I have a lot of older people around me, so I tend to write a lot as if I were them, from the older perspective. I mean, I've written about scenarios I have yet to face, and may never face, but I feel it's a developmental process for me- imagining what comes next, or what's to come in general, if not for me personally, for every one.
And my writing about being younger is focused solely upon the fact that, not only have I been through a lot in my first twenty years, but I've put myself through a hell-of-a lot. Having faced the different struggles and challenges I have, I feel like there's a center in my brain that collects images, ideas, and different possibilities of the future, or futures, and getting older is something I embrace. Through living and experience comes learning, and since I have a lot left to learn, I try to write about what I expect to learn- based off of what I have learned from my parents, grandparents, etc.

I know that last answer was kind of long and probably more complex than it needed to be, but I hope I answered the actual question.

^That was a great answer.

Question from me: Do you think writing poems will be a "phase" for you, or is it something you see yourself doing for a long time?

Do you think poetry is something that people improve on as they age, or do they get marooned once they get over their "youthful passions?" : )

Um. What's your favorite animal?

-Sibyllene

Question from me: Do you think writing poems will be a "phase" for you, or is it something you see yourself doing for a long time?

Well, since I'm currently working on a major in creative writing, I see me writing poetry for a long time. I've attempted to put together a few collections in past, but have felt dissatisfied with the cohesion of the pieces, and have scrapped all past attempts. But, since I love writing, whether I do it professionally, or simply as a hobby, I definitely see myself writing poetry for the rest of my life.

Do you think poetry is something that people improve on as they age, or do they get marooned once they get over their "youthful passions?" : )

I'd say growth doesn't necessarily have to come from age, it certainly helps when one has new experiences, but I think practice is the true push in growing as a writer. I write almost every day, and I feel as though that's the only reason I've gotten better over time. Age does help, and I don't think people lose their improvement due to outgrowing "youthful passion" as you put it, but if one wishes to hold onto that feeling, they certainly can through memories and acting less than their age every once in awhile.
So I guess in short, I think growth comes from age, but as well, from practice and always reading and writing.

Um. What's your favorite animal?

My favorite animal is the Fennec Fox. It used to be Penguins, but then I discovered the Fennec Fox and it may be the most interesting-looking animal, with its large ears and its ability to seem both cute and menacing, depending on the age you see one at.

First of all, congrats for being on the spotlight.
1-how does it feel to be noticed like this.
2-do u take poetry as a career or hobby.
3-any pointers for poets like me who one day also want to be in the limelight.

How does it feel to be noticed like this?
Well, I enjoy the opportunity to answer any questions about myself. It's good to know people find me interesting enough to ask questions to, but in all seriousness, I like talking- about myself, poetry, so anytime I can share any of my thoughts, I feel honored.

Do u take poetry as a career or hobby?
At the moment my only choice is to have it as a hobby. Until I graduate, it's tough for me to think of it career-wise. I would love to be a career-poet, but that's so difficult, to support oneself on simply writing, I expect to be a teacher/writer later in life. No matter what happens though, whether I do write for a career or not, I'll always have it as something I enjoy doing. It's such a useful ability, and I plan to take full advantage of having it.

Any pointers for poets like me who one day also want to be in the limelight?
Just keep writing. I've been on the front page of the site a few times, and every time, whether I've felt like I deserved to be spotlighted or not, I've felt honored and grateful that there is a place to share poetry, and people who enjoy reading it and writing it as much as I do.

I know personally, I've been writing seriously for only about 4 years, but since the day I started taking it seriously, I've written something every day. Whether it's a sentence, part of a poem, or a complete project, I write. And that's the most helpful piece of advice I can give- write, write, write. It's like anything else, only practice can make you better.

:D

Duck duck goose