Swetha Amit interviews Francine Witte about Some Distant Pin of Light (Cervena Barva Press)

SA: Some Distant Pin of Light is a beautiful collection of poems that captures fleeting moments, heartbreak, and longing. What inspired this collection? How long did it take you to put it together? 

FW: These are poems I wrote over the past five years or so. I have two other full-length poetry collections. Some of my poems didn’t make it into those collections, so I included them in this new one. I centered them around the theme of families, as I always enjoy writing about family situations. I also like writing about the environment. When I look at the poems I’ve written, I select the ones I like or those that have received a good response and combine them. Sometimes I get a poem published, which I don’t think is my best work. Eventually, after its acceptance, I started to appreciate it more. 

In some of your poems, you use first person, others first person plural, and some in third, like a camera on these places. How do you decide which point of view to use? 

I usually start with the second person. I like to use it because it creates some distance when you’re writing. Everyone knows you’re writing about yourself. Sometimes it works well, but other times it doesn’t feel right for the piece. So, I try using a different point of view. I go with what feels right to me, and I use a similar approach when writing flash fiction as well. 

What is your process while writing flash and poetry? Does it differ? Are they similar? 

I’ve been writing poetry for a long time. It’s my first love, and I hold an MFA in poetry. Back then, flash was always called short shorts. In the 90s, I came across Flash Fiction. To me, the similarity between flash and poetry is compression.  I love what’s not being said in the poem/flash, but the reader gets it. I think the challenge is to write it, so readers know what you are getting at. When you write a poem/story, it’s normal that every reader interprets it differently because we are all different people. But there is also a common idea you want to convey. 

Speaking of time compression, the poems in your collection depict a scenario in which the past feels so near, yet the characters are far ahead in their lives. Do you think how you deal with time is different or similar in poetry and prose? 

I was working on a piece recently where the narrator is five years old and telling a story. I had to use the past tense, but at some point, I slipped into the present tense. I had to decide which tense to use. Using the present tense creates a sense of immediacy in the story. Using the past tense feels more reflective because you’re looking back. I am drawn to the teenage years because they are so chaotic. There’s so much about who you were and how you handled love, hardships, and rejection. You reach a point where you are settled and reflect on why certain things happened. In that case, the past tense works very well. 

You used a different structure in one of your poems, including a line about a house not being a verb or a noun. What was the reason for this structure? 

I attended a workshop with Bending Genres, where Alina Stefanescu was my instructor. One of her prompts asked us to write a poem as if it were a dictionary entry. This poem was a response to that prompt. When you look up a word in the dictionary, you find different meanings. I started with a simple definition and then explored deeper. The last one reflected more of how I truly felt about things. 

Your poems feature a lot of ocean imagery and water elements. Do you notice any similarities between water and poetry? 

The first thing that comes to my mind is how water flows and how poetry should flow like water. When you finish a poem, micro, or flash, you read it aloud. If you find yourself tripping over words, you should go back and revise them. When I read out my pieces and they sound like singing, that’s how I know my piece is done. Water is so crucial in our lives. Not only do we need to drink it, but we also emerge from water.

There is also a lot of Imagery of birds and fish. What do they symbolize? 

Birds are so free. They fly and are very small. People notice them but don’t pay much attention. I like that about birds. I enjoy exploring the idea of flight and the sky in my poems. The sky is a world so different from the one we walk on. Similarly, fish represent the underwater world, which again is different from the human world. In one of my poems, a woman walks a bird five feet above her, as if she’s holding a balloon. This poem was inspired by a photograph I saw on Facebook. At first, I tried writing the poem from a woman’s point of view, focusing on her envy of the bird’s flight. Then I wrote it from the bird’s perspective, and how it envies the woman’s ability to stay on land. I took these two aspects and tried to express what each species wants from the other. We assume other species have it all, but they might yearn for something we have. 

You also include imagery of eggs, which seem to symbolize growth. What helps you grow as a person and a writer? 

Eggs are fragile and can break easily. When it comes to growing and developing as a writer, I believe it’s important to keep reading and observing what others are publishing or writing. You also need to maintain that delicate balance between not being too critical of yourself and not being too complacent. Being open to criticism also helps. One thing I do is challenge myself to write about different topics. Sometimes I notice I tend to write on similar themes or ideas. I step back and consider what I can write differently or how to do it. That pushes me to experiment with the form and structure. 

There is a compelling interplay of darkness and light in your poems. Do you encounter any dark moments in your writing? And during those dark times, what helps you see the light? 

I tend to overthink a lot. I’m an introvert and enjoy being alone. But sometimes I take it too far. Then I realize I should go out, but I don’t feel forced to. When I do go out, it sometimes helps me see myself more clearly. When I’m writing a story, I often struggle with endings. I find endings tricky. So, I leave it alone for a while and come back to it. I never give up on the story. Sometimes, too many critiques can work against you. So, giving myself time and space helps me become my own editor. 

Your book explores themes of loneliness, longing, family, and relationships. Did these themes naturally emerge as you wrote the poems, or did you intentionally focus on them? 

In any story or movie, I love it when themes of yearning or longing are explored. I’m drawn to those poignant moments when I start to feel for the characters during their small hurts. I don’t sit down and consciously think about a specific theme. But when I end up writing a story, I’m happy if I manage to touch upon themes of yearning and longing. 

What do you want readers to gain from your book? 

The importance of family relationships. Irrespective of whether they are good or bad, family is important because it shapes you in many ways. There might be a certain level of trauma or heartache, but you realize those moments are what made you. 

Any more projects in the pipeline? 

I have been working on a story for a few days. It needs a better ending. I am not working on a big project, but I am always writing flash and poetry. I write every day for thirty minutes. I get a lot done that way. Writing longer sessions doesn’t work because I tend to run out of creative energy after a while. 

Lastly, how can one purchase a copy of your book? 

Yes, if they visit my website, francinewitte.com, there is a link there to purchase my book.