I was incredibly fortunate to work with the amazing Jessica Jacobs on my first full-length manuscript, and this poem arose from that collaboration.
On the first pass, Jessica gave me some feedback on a particular poem in the collection. I saw the value of the feedback but … didn’t change the poem. On the second pass, Jessica gave me the same suggestion again, a little more pointedly this time. And I agreed with the feedback and still… couldn’t quite make myself do it. I often find that an argument with myself is a good starting point for a poem, and so the third and final draft included both the original poem — unchanged! — and a new one: “What I Am Telling You, Jessica, Is That Those Chickens Are Fine.” I think it made us both laugh, and I was absolutely delighted when New Ohio Review accepted it. It’s online (with audio!) at the link.
K.T. Landon 