Out of the many forms of writing, poetry is certainly unique. While many would believe that poems are liturgical lines that end in a rhyme, the fact of the matter is that poetry can be constructed in any way a person wants it to be written.

They can range from long and complex to simple yet subtle. In truth, a poem’s message is only limited by the writer’s own thoughts. This is the idea that author and Union alumna, Joanna Doxey ’03, brought to light in her visit to Union.

As a graduate of Union with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a master’s degree in Fine  Arts for poetry from Colorado State University, Doxey has a deep understanding of poetry.

She understands that many poems do not have to follow a set guideline and can, instead, be written in any way, shape or form.

In her book titled “Plainspeak, WY,” she illustrates this idea by having her poems not follow any distinct form. On each page, the lines of each poem are disjointed and are spread throughout the page.

Her work also creates a very haunting atmosphere, a hollow look into the world around us.

From her talks of the winds of Wyoming to the melting glaciers of the Arctic, her work creates a sense of emptiness about the world.

After reading selected poems from “Plainspeak, WY” as well as some poems from manuscripts she brought with her, she regaled her audience with her own inspirations for her poems as well as the process she went through in order to reach where she is today.

After writing “Plainspeak, WY,” Doxey came up with many of her ideas during times of either sadness or when she was experiencing writer’s block. She found herself unable to really become celebratory about her book and inspired to write when she felt so much uncertainty.

As a result, she opted for the concept of a different means of writing. Doxey stated: “I kinda leaned into the idea of just giving into failure and keeping it going with my obsessions.”

However, just because a person can write a poem in a certain way does not necessarily mean that they are free from criticism.

During the process of getting her work published, the editors went through her work and had to make changes to her original manuscripts.

Even though she was very strong-willed about what she wrote, she understood that having an outsider’s perspective would benefit her in the long run. Doxey said, “Sometimes I get lost in the fog of it and I need to see through different eyes.”

However, there were instances where she had to stand her ground in a certain way.

She wrote a line of the poem and if she felt that no change was necessary, she would explain to the editors why it needed to be that way.

However, the most poignant phrase that she spoke of was that, in writing, she was met with more rejection than acceptance.

This is a sad fact when it comes to writing. More often than not, a person will be rejected by publishers.

That being said, it should not dissuade a person from trying their hand at the writing style.

The take-away message was that in life, there will always be a time where your work is rejected. Thus, the best course of action is to simply get back up when you fall down and try again.

You never know when someone may find something in your poem that you did not

even consider. For, in poetry, there is no limit to what you can write and how a person may perceive your work.

What one person may find confusing, another will find a deep message beyond its simple words.