Perceptions

I hadn’t been in college long before I submitted a poem to Columbia State Community College’s annual journal of arts, Perceptions. Actually, I submitted more than one poem and three were accepted for publication in the 1990 edition of the journal (“The Hunter and the Legend,” “Expectations,” and “The Ride of Helios”).

The Story

Looking back on those works, I cringe at my then lack of understanding about the appropriate use of punctuation in poetry. I also cringe at my then lack of knowledge about mythological creatures.

Are they terrible poems? No, but the plot, craft, and structure are weak. I think the poems were chosen for publication because they contained quite a bit of imagery, not because they were terribly good. That’s not a commentary about the quality of the submissions for the 1990 edition of Perceptions in general. Overall, the works submitted by other members of the student body and faculty were valuable contributions to the arts.

Copies of Perceptions

The arts magazine Perceptions is apparently still alive and kicking at Columbia State Community College, by the way.