Can you go through the step-by-step process of writing this poem from the moment the idea was first conceived in your brain until final form? This was a fairly quick one to write. I was back home after three years of living in China, and I was missing my girlfriends over there. I was walking in the city (of Zagreb, Croatia) and sat down after a freelancing job at this coffee shop I often frequented at that time. I took out my laptop and decided to write. The poem came out in one sitting, as a meditation on times past.
Where were you when you started to actually write the poem? And please describe the place in great detail. As mentioned above, I was sitting in a coffee shop in the center of Zagreb. It was one of those old-world type of coffee shops, where smoking inside is still allowed and the loud pop music of the 2000s sets the beat of the place. It might have even been one of the songs on the radio that prompted the thought process that led to the poem. But I sat down in that place deliberately, I was already itching to write. I knew I could create there, just looking at the interior of it – other than, or maybe even because of, the smokey ambience – it invites you in, with its plush and upholstered chairs, and the overall tasteful decorations. The waiter was discreet while bringing my drink and the internet password worked like a charm. It was a combination of elements, making the moment perfect for expression. (Below: the Victory Art Caffe in Nica Zagreb, Croatia. Credit and Copyright by Iva Ticic)
What month and year did you start writing this poem? It was written during the course of an afternoon in February 2020. (Below: Iva Ticic in February of 2020. Copyright by Iva Ticic)
Were there any lines in any of your rough drafts of this poem that were not in the final version? And can you share them with us? Strangely, this poem didn’t get altered in a very meaningful way since its inception. I was glad with how it came out and only adjusted the minor lapses in storytelling/overall grammar. So I am not aware of any major changes between the first version and the final one (which is already included in the manuscript of my next book).
What do you want readers of this poem to take from this poem? The sense of the unique and close bond between friends who all support one another while residing outside their comfort zone – essentially of immigrants making the most of their situation. The feeling which permeated the writing as I put the words together was longing for what is gone, and a certain pride of having lived it all to be able to tell the tale. Many difficult and uniquely special things happened to me and those select few friends mentioned, so I dare say this poem is a testament to us and to how we were able to make sense of things, to work with what was coming at us, while staying true to ourselves. (Below: The friends who inspired the poem “Exodus/And Then There Were None” Jess, Erin and Iva. Copyright granted by Iva Ticic.)
Which part of the poem was the most emotional of you to write and why? It would have to be these lines towards the end:
She left her dog behind as well as this sense
of courage, overly reckless and attributed
to youth, to bars and apartments
which make us feel forever arriving
This reminds me of my dear friend Erin, and of the adventures we shared. Also, to be honest, I still feel like I am forever arriving. It is an emotional and beautiful thing, to look upon younger versions of yourself – alongside your friends, and to get to retell how beautiful and extraordinary it all was. It also reminds me of other periods of my life where I was younger still, and equally as brave while foraying into the unknown. (Below: Erin and Iva. Copyright by Iva Ticic)
Has this poem been published before? And if so where? This blog is its first home! It will surely be featured in my next book, but that is yet to come.
All Backstory of the Poem LIVE LINKS can be found at the very end of the below feature:
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/02/will-justice-drakes-intercession-is-251.html
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