A Treasure in the Smallest of Packages

Grandmothers typically give advice about the attributes of a perfect husband or the best way to sew on a button. But not mine.

“You publish poetry for the sake of art,” my grandmother, Pauline Durrett Robertson, advises. And she wrote about it in her poem, "On Discovering a Young Poet." Growing up with a widely published, national awarding-winning poet for a grandmother, I have learned that very few people get rich writing verse. However Mutti (as I call her, pronounced m-U’-tee; German for mother), says understanding the written word through patterns and rhymes is all about appreciating the subtleties that life has to offer. Mutti has instilled within me a certain love for words.

But poetry is not her only talent. She wears several hats in the community - from homemaker, child advocate, author and teacher to poet, photographer, editor and publisher, she has accomplished much in her almost nine decades. Her passion to encourage and motivate others to appreciate and delve into the world of poetry is a hat she doesn’t plan on shedding for a while.

Mutti’s love for poetry began at age nine when she discovered her mother’s set of poetry books. She remembers they were blue and there were twelve of them, but as a child of The Depression, these books were an opportunity to learn. They became her tutor – teaching her patterns and rhythms – the stuff of which all poems are made. Her first poem entitled, Going to the Fair, allowed my grandmother an opportunity to express the day through her feelings. Growing up Mutti continued to use her knowledge of patterns, rhythms and words to describe what it was like to be a Sandie in the late 30s as she published countless poems as a writer and, in her senior year, the editor of the Amarillo High School annual.

As my grandmother’s love for poetry grew, so did her need to educate others and so Mutti began her teaching career at Amarillo College with a poetry-writing course which she says, “was for people who wanted to take it for their own amazement.” For 21 years Mutti was the inspiration for many beginning poets, some who later became well-known, published writers. Buck Ramsey, a published western writer, was one of the “Mutti-inspired” writers.

She has since used her inspirational ways to publish five of her own poetry books, including "Borrowed Moccasins," "Field Notes" and "Fringe Benefits," all of which comprise poems that have won awards on state and nation-wide levels.

My grandmother says there is always a poem lurking wherever she goes.

“Current events, remembrances of childhood or just being on the lookout for something comical,” she explains. “To write poetry, you must be observant of all people, landscapes, animals and life itself.”

According to Mutti, a successful poet is alert and empathetic to other people’s perspectives. “Other’s viewpoints make a poem more vibrant,” she explains.

Her advice for creating poetry is to always be imaginative. “Your mind can reimagine any situation. You can use your newfound viewpoints to picture how any situation came to be.”

"On Discovering a Young Poet" is Mutti’s way of showing writers they are appreciated while also giving encouragement to the next generation. My grandmother says, “Every new poet should attempt to convey their message using different forms and rhythms, being concise and making every word count.”

As a young writer and college Journalism major, I keep my grandmother’s advice always in mind as she urges me and other aspiring writers “to seek out chances to read poetry.”

Mutti explains it best when she says, “Poetry is a treasure in the smallest of packages, you must be alert to recognize it and appreciate it for its subtleties.”

On Discovering a Young Poet
By Pauline Durrett Robertson

“You certainly won’t make money on poetry,
But it looks good in your catalogue,”
Another publisher used to advise me.
“You publish poetry for the sake of art.”

But my poet is like a prism
Catching an elusive light
Even on the dullest day,
Coloring my mind with dancing reflections
That can play across the office -
Across the heavy stacks of paperwork.

She continues to startle me
With shimmering shards of light.
And I can bring that light,
Varicolored and dancing,
To the world - for art’s sake
For my sake -
If I’m constantly alert
To the turn of the prism.

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