MTB prompt | kanzen sakura

Today (Thursday) Bjorn is hosting the dVerse Meeting the Bar with a secret guest. He wants us to use free writing to create free verse. The theme is looking back through our past decade and pick any theme we have used. The directions are:
1) select a few keywords (2) set timer for 9 minutes and write whatever come to mind (3) use this to create our own free verse. Bjorn included a picture of his draft which reminded him of being in university and studying physics. This was a hard exercise for me as I never write anything down. I get an idea and then form the poem/haiku/tanka in my head. Having to write down first really tied me up! Come visit at dVerse to see the other poems linked to this prompt. I have a feeling there are going to be some really interesting poems/drafts linked. My draft is at the end of the poem. One look and you will see why I rarely write anything down! Also linking this to Poets United, Poetry Pantry http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2015/12/poetry-pantry-283.html

moritsuke Public Domain photo

Imprisoned Free Verse
my “free verse” is often a contradiction in terms
as my verse is never free – in the sense of
free association – poems are always formed
in my mind first –
words are precisely arranged
to entice the brain and
capture the heart.
like moritsuke –
the Japanese art of food arranging.
every item is placed to best advantage
to show and balance color, form –
like a painting or flowers.
on the paper, the soul of my poem,
the heart of my poem
becomes a captive held prisoner
squiggled words in a prison of paper and ink
with a guard named Frustration.
The smell of the first snow or the drift
of a red maple leaf to the ground
can only be written in the mind and felt
by the heart. Ink and paper
are for grocery lists or
a scribbled recipe for a friend.
In my mind, poems about the first snow
or love or stars or trees
are a a sheathed sword.
When brought out into the light
they shine with a life of their own.
And sometimes, they stay in my mind
until my heart can bear to let them go.