Tina Parker

Revising (or let it stew and whittle it down)

Error message

  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Warning: Undefined array key "custom_date_format" in date_formatter_format() (line 460 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date.module).
  • Deprecated function: strtr(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in date_limit_format() (line 2372 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date_api/date_api.module).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterMetaData is deprecated in SelectQuery->addMetaData() (line 997 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterMetaData is deprecated in SelectQuery->addMetaData() (line 997 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Warning: Undefined array key "custom_date_format" in date_formatter_format() (line 460 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date.module).
  • Warning: Undefined array key "custom_date_format" in date_formatter_format() (line 460 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date.module).
  • Warning: Undefined array key "custom_date_format" in date_formatter_format() (line 460 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date.module).
  • Warning: Undefined array key "custom_date_format" in date_formatter_format() (line 460 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date.module).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1887 of /home1/tinapark/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).

After I get a block of time to sift through my notebooks and find seeds for poems, I start to draft a poem, either on paper or on the computer. I try to leave it alone for a while. When I return to it and have it typed up, I copy it and paste it below the early draft. I read it many times and begin to highlight parts I may cut. I might print it out at that point and see how it looks on the page. I let it sit some more. Then I repeat the process: read it several times, copy the draft and begin to revise on that copy. I end up with a scroll of drafts, one after the other in a Word doc.

The best part is when I do this enough and my words get stuck in my head, like when we get a song stuck in our head. But this is even better. I hear a little voice telling me what to change—this often happens when I’m not “at” the page. I’m not even at the computer. I’m out for a walk or driving to work and the little voice says, “the tense shifts. You’ll have to change the tense in that first part.” And it is magic; I receive this voice and count it as a gift. I let the poem stew and whittle it down.