Spotlight On Writers
J.D. Nelson
@madverse
- Where do you originate from?
I was born on Saint Patrick’s Day 1971 in Trenton, New Jersey. My family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado when I was a year old. We lived there briefly before moving to Denver. We moved to nearby Boulder when I was four. We returned to Trenton when I was eight. When I was starting sixth grade, we moved to Lafayette in east Boulder County, where I lived for most of my life. I moved back to Boulder, where I now reside, in late 2023.
- What do you cherish most about the place you call home?
Aside from my family, the natural beauty of Colorado is what I cherish most. Boulder is situated where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. I have a daily mindfulness practice of writing haiku, and the wildlife, geological formations, and trees of both mountain and plain provide endless inspiration. I especially love the birds who live here, either part- or full-time. Some favorites include blue jays, crows, egrets, herons, owls and other raptors, and magpies.
- What ignites your creativity?
For as long as I can remember, I have expressed myself creatively, through visual arts, music, and especially through writing poetry. Being creative is part of my identity; it’s just who I am. I believe that a person can reach this state through determination, focus, and practice.
- Do you have a favorite word and could you incorporate it into a poetic phrase?
I easily become infatuated with words. At any given time, there is at least one word, sometimes a few, that will pop up here and there in my writing. I make a conscious effort not to overuse any of them. One word that’s long been a favorite is silver. I love the way it sounds, and because it brings to mind times long past: its importance in the civilizations of antiquity, the allure of silver coins, etc.
Here is a very-short-form poem of mine:
OUR GENT
silvertoes
silvertoast
silvertoads
(Incidentally, the title is a play on words: “our gent” is a near homophone for argent, the archaic or poetic word for silver.)
- What is your pet peeve?
I would say that I am most annoyed by people who are inconsiderate or show a lack of compassion towards other people, animals, and the planet. I am certainly guilty of having been this type of person.
- How would you describe the essence of J.D. Nelson?
THE WATER WATER
wooden water is the start
after the thoughts
police nectar and salt
earth is the water
needing a water sock
the western west
reed one to thaw the old wet rinse
news of the rye football
closing another bank account at midnight
the same meal plan for days and days and days
the last of the sea foam
the help is the thinking cube
—From my first full-length collection of poetry, in ghostly onehead (Post-Asemic Press, 2022)
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