Three Questions for Joy

What inspired your choice of genre and/or form for your work?

I joined an online writing group last summer, which has truly helped me write consistently and challenges me to experiment with my poems. Members in my group will often recommend songs for everyone to listen to while we write to spark ideas. During one of our meet ups "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac was included on the playlist. My mom introduced me to Fleetwood Mac's songs as a kid so I feel a sense of nostalgia towards the song. I decided to turn "Dreams" into a blackout poem to emphasize parts of the song that resonated with me emotionally and play around with the song's structure to find new meaning in the text. Blackout poetry for me is like being handed a block of stone and you chisel away the layers until you discover a hidden gem underneath.

What was your creative process?

​​The song “Dreams” comes from Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album "Rumours," which chronicles the romantic relationships between the band members. It's a breakup song, about letting go of the anger, the bitterness and acceptancing that a relationship it's coming to an end. I organized the lyrics into a paragraph, with run-on sentences, and focused on the image of rain that is repeated throughout the text. I highlighted words and phrases that called out to me whenever I listen to the song: the rain washes you clean, women come, crystal visions, thunder, you'll know. The lyrics eventually evolved into the poem “Rain Chant,” a type of spell for spiritual cleansing, freedom and self discovery, washing away all doubts and all the things that inhibit you.

What is the significance of this work to you?

Creating my poem "Rain Chant" was cathartic, giving me the space for self-reflection and healing. Poetry has been therapeutic for me. It gives me the permission to feel depressed, cry, and unburden myself. We live in a society where everyone is always rushing around, too busy and overworked, feeling physically and emotionally drained that mental health is not made a priority. This poem can be a mantra for finding clarity and balance, allowing myself a moment to be still and take that much needed breath.

Joy Young is a Chicago-born poet and storyteller. Her work has appeared in Poetry East, Lunch Ticket, Portable Gray, and Black Warrior Review and elsewhere. She is a poet-in-residence and board member for The Chicago Poetry Center, as well as the Chicagoland Regional Coordinator for the Poetry Out Loud Teen Recitation Competition.