Monday, October 24, 2016

Gerunding While Poeming

"Do you mind my asking you?

              I have a writing question.

              It's about the parts of speech."

"In the composing of a poem, what of I-N-G'ing the verb? You know, do you ever noun-ify it?

"Well. The truth is, it's hard to get away with a gerund," he said, with a tinge of wistfulness.

He looked up and paused. Imparting this small teaching made him smile.

Was this the issuing of a challenge? Or a warning?

But my questioning found no mark. I didn't speak it.

I just dutifully recorded his comment, my day's workshopping now complete.