I’ve been mulling over and editing poems for my X-Files chapbook for a while, but my poetry writing process has been stagnant. When I open a document to pluck away at new ideas, I come up blank. Recently, I read The Way Into the Poem Is the Decision to Write the Poem by Safia Elhillo.1 In it, Elhillo breaks down different processes for showing up to writing when you’re not feeling inspired.
I pored over her process of reading a poem she likes and using its structure to reinvigorate her writing (with credit, of course). It reminded me of patchwork poetry, such as a cento. In a quest to encourage play and creative discipline, I was inspired to make my own patchwork poem using only lines from an X-Files episode. Using the Wayback Machine and the script to “Darkness Falls” from insidethex.co.uk, I created “one cocoon.” It is disjointed and not what I expected, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I hope you enjoy this collaged writing practice.
one cocoon
lines from The X File’s “Darkness Falls” by Chris Carter
We found something in the forest
It’s out there
afraid of the light
You’re a liar
.22 caliber
The kind of camping you do is a federal offense
Remember Mt. St. Helens?
In a word, they vanished
Maybe they woke up hungry
This is ridiculous
a brain-sucking amoeba
It definitely wasn’t Bigfoot
A man caught in some kind of insect cocoon
Almost like it’s been cured
Let’s just hear what he has to say
Every ring represents a season of growth
marked in orange
Party favors
It’s a big forest
We only found one cocoon
We’ll think of something
Darkness is our enemy
That’s when they come
I can save us all, man
talk about shooting yourself in the foot
What about the body?
That is not an option
notes from the field report: things that have caught my eye recently
Study for Belief with Lines from “Star Trek: The Original Series” by Dayna Patterson
Katherine May’s pinterest board for Max Alexander’s knitted moths
fake x-files concept art for a fake cartoon reboot by astrofyre
very u-haul lesbians of mulder and scully
i’m catching up on my emails, and i finally read this substack interview with stylist “for regular people” sophie strauss for big undies on personal style. i really like how approachable this makes everyday fashion and defining your own style
While this post is now behind a paywall, if you can’t afford a paid subscription, I recommend subscribing to girls that never post for emails of posts that she leaves free to read for a week (and free forever in your inbox <3). She is a gem of writing and postcolonial knowledge.