Poetry vs. Furniture

When I tell people that I write poetry, they inevitably ask me how I reconcile that with building furniture, as if the two couldn’t be farther apart. They seem kind of dumbfounded when I say that writing poetry and building furniture are very similar in my mind. Both require form; both require art. The only difference is the building material. Poetry is furniture made with words. Furniture is poetry made with wood.

I’d be interested to know how other furniture makers feel about the connection between woodworking and other art forms. Please chime in.

I’ve got some new stuff published at a magazine called The Potomac. Check it out.