Beth Weg on ‘Almost’
Beth Weg has been a communications professional for 25 years, serving as a writer, editor, and editorial director for family, parenting, and health-care consumer readerships. She hopes to publish her debut novel this year and lives with her family and dogs in the northeastern United States.
What was the last thing that brought you joy?
The side-splitting, doubled-over, holding-your-stomach laughter we had during a family dinner. Laugher is such a gift!
Where did your poetry journey begin?
Poetry has always been a part of my life. Reading Shel Silverstein’s “Where The Sidewalk Ends” as a child showed me that magic can be found in the ordinary. I wrote and studied poetry throughout school, especially in college as an English major. And it’s so fun now to discuss poetry with my kids as they study it themselves.
What is a core theme of Almost, and what called you to write about it?
“Almost” is about a lot of things, but particularly about the spectrum of emotions surrounding miscarriage. That ache of what might have been but never will be. How some things can be frozen in time and yet very much present. There is so much unnecessary stigma around miscarriage that the timing felt right to share my experiences with it. Hopefully these words offer comfort and understanding to someone else. “Almost” is also about the dichotomy of connection and separation, and I wanted to explore that feeling we sometimes get of being separated from each other and separated from humanity, especially in today’s rapidly changing world. But the wonderful thing about poetry is that it can turn our alone-ness into one-ness.
Tell us about the experience of writing this poem.
I wrote an early version of this poem years ago and kept it hidden because I just wasn’t ready to share it. But poetry is an examination of sorts, isn’t it? Rewriting it was cathartic and helped me examine emotions I didn’t realize were still rising to the surface.
Where does poetry fit into your life?
I can’t imagine life without poetry. I recently bought a collection of classic poems at a thrift store and was delighted to find the previous owner had underlined all of their favorite parts. It felt like they were reaching out from decades into the past and sharing a part of themselves with me.
What inspires you?
So many things! Everyday life, albeit difficult and challenging sometimes, is also hopeful and beautiful when you pay attention. Inspiration can come from anywhere, from the colorful threads and patterns in a favorite piece of fabric, or the love that goes into a home-cooked meal, to the work of others artists and writers. I recently got a phone with a much better camera, and its magnification has made the nearly invisible, visible. Seeing all of these micro-details has already inspired me to view the world in a whole new way!
Is there a poem you read over and over again?
There are lots of them! When I was gathering the courage to share “Almost,” I read “Watching My Friend Pretend Her Heart Isn’t Breaking” by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer quite a bit.
Do you have a favourite poet?
It would be hard to narrow down my favorite poets to a singular choice because I love so many, from Yeats to Poe to Mary Oliver and Amanda Gorman.
What advice would you give to someone new to poetry?
Leave it all on the page! Embrace your voice, feel the freedom that comes from sharing your emotions, and don’t be shy about offering your thoughts to the world. Somebody, somewhere needs them. There’s a line in Tapiwa Mugabe’s “You Are Oceanic” that says “Do not thin yourself/Be vast.” Isn’t that wonderful advice?
Why do you write poetry?
I write poetry because it is an incredible opportunity for connection. It connects poets with themselves and their thoughts. It connects readers with those words and images. And it allows readers around the world to connect with each other. How cool is that?
You can read Beth’s poem here.