I am so excited for this post and I know I say that about all of them, they are just all so good.
First, I have a funny story. Somewhat. Not funny, “haha” but more funny like “You have the worst luck”. I mixed up the dates for Courtney’s interview and Cyrus’ guest post. Maybe the CP initials just blended into one right before my screen? Sigh. Nevertheless, I posted Cyrus post a day late and Courtney’s a day early. I just love both of them so much. You know? A thousand apologies though, I can’t believe I made such a mistake.
Poetic Justice is a month long event, beginning April 1st to April 30th in honor of National Poetry Month. Throughout April there will be interviews, guest posts, excerpts and other poetic posts. I hope you will follow along. To read the introductory post, read about my poetic background as well as the schedule for the month, you can find out more here.
Today I have a great guest post by the (continued?) wrestler-turned-poet, Cyrus Parker. Cyrus is married to the forever amazing poetess, Amanda Lovelace. They are serious goals, let me tell you.
When I first heard Cyrus had a book coming out, I stalked Netgalley for it. I was beyond excited when I saw DROPKICKromance went up and read it roughly in two days. I needed to take frenquent breaks because wow, clearly Cyrus invaded my mind writing my feelings down perfectly. DROPKICKromance is one of my favorite poetry books now. I am just so amazed and I seriously can’t express how much I love it. I am dying for a follow-up whenever that is finished.
So many feels.
When I was making a list of poets to invite to my blog, Cyrus was close to the top of my list. I can’t even begin to describe my reaction when he emailed me back saying he would join in! I have fangirled enough, let me present the fantastic guest post we’ve all been waiting for.
One of the questions that keeps popping up as I meet readers on the DROPKICKwitch Tour alongside my wife Amanda Lovelace, is how one goes from wrestling professionally to writing poetry. I always find this question fascinating, because as someone who’s been a writer and storyteller for much of their life, I never really considered how that might seem like a jarring shift in career choice to some. At these events, I usually detail my history with writing, the different forms it’s taken, and how I went from dropkicking people in a ring to (hopefully) dropkicking people’s hearts with my words. Rather than boring you with an abridged version of my life’s story, instead, I thought we’d take a look at the way pro-wrestling and poetry are more alike than one might think!
Before we get into the nitty gritty, we’re going to have to come to an agreement on what pro-wrestling is and isn’t, and no, I’m not talking about the real vs. fake debate! At it’s very core, pro-wrestling is an art. I know that sounds like a bizarre way to describe muscular individuals rolling around in spandex and throwing each other around, but bear with me for a moment.
There is a certain amount of craft, of psychology, that goes into wrestling. A wrestling match is meant to tell a story. Whether that story is properly conveyed to the audience or not, however, depends on how well the wrestlers in the match have mastered that craft. From the moment a wrestler steps through the curtain, until the moment they step back behind it, every move they make should be made for a reason. Every punch, every kick, every body slam, every signature move, should mean something in the grand scheme of the match. If those wrestlers are doing their job effectively, they should be evoking all kinds of different emotions in the audience. To make the audience feel something, after all, is what a wrestler’s job is.
If I were to describe the art of writing poetry, it would be very much of the same. There is a certain amount of craft that goes into writing a poem. From the very first word to the very last, everything the poet does should mean something in the grand scheme of the poem. Every metaphor, every line break, every word, every piece of punctuation that goes into a poem should serve a purpose. If the poet is doing their job effectively, then the reader should feel the emotion the poet is trying to convey!
Both poets and wrestlers come from all walks of life, which means each person brings something unique to their respective art. When I first started wrestling, I struggled to tap into what made me unique. I struggled to find my voice. In short, I was very bland, and very boring. Once I figured out how to take who I am and bring it into my work, everything finally clicked into place. The same applies to myself as a writer. Right now, I’m doing readings for my debut poetry collection, DROPKICKromance, while also working on the follow up to it, and I can’t help but notice the ways in which my writing has grown, and my voice has developed. You never stop learning, and that is something that can be applied to poetry, wrestling, and life itself.
Professional wrestling and poetry have played very important roles in my growth, and I can say with complete certainty that I wouldn’t be who I am today if either one were missing from the equation. My time as a pro-wrestler has most certainly had an influence on my perspective, not only about life, but myself as well, and there’s no way that doesn’t bleed through into my writing. Likewise, without giving too much away, everything will come full circle on July 14th, 2018, and the inverse will be true. Whether you’re a fan of pro-wrestling or not, I hope you can appreciate the artistry that goes into it the same way you might appreciate the innerworkings of a poem. Thanks for reading!
— Cyrus Parker
A collection of autobiographical poetry about healing and learning to love again from professional-wrestler-turned-poet, Cyrus Parker.
The first half of DROPKICKromance focuses on a toxic, long-distance relationship the author was involved in for several years, while the second half focuses on his current relationship with poet Amanda Lovelace. Ultimately, the collection tells about a profound journey of healing.
via Goodreads
cyrus parker is a pro-wrestler-turned-poet, hailing from a small town in new jersey, where he lives with his poetess wife, amanda lovelace. originally from michigan, where he spent half a decade working on the local independent wrestling scene, cyrus is now trading his literal dropkicks for literary dropkicks as he puts wrestling on the back burner to pursue his other passion, writing.
a creative writing major at brookdale community college in lincroft, nj, the self-proclaimed DROPKICKpoet has set out on a journey to find his voice, and himself, through the written word. when he’s not illegibly scrawling away in his journal or typing away on his next project, cyrus can be found napping excessively after consuming massive amounts of coffee or wandering the world, trying to be the very best pokémon master that ever lived.
Website / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook
Thank you so much, Cyrus for sharing this great guest post! I can’t wait to read your future works.
Please give Cyrus come comment love below or a Twitter follow. As always, these actions will give you entries to win a poetry book of your choice from one of these amazing poetry participants. I will be giving away one book from Book Depository up to $15 as well as an Kindle ebook up to $11.99. There will be two winners so get those entries in!
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