David Dixon
Pine Row Issue No. 3 Spring 2021 - Featured Poet
How to Care for a Dogwood
for Heather
They are picky. Like a small child.
And may not adjust well to variances.
Not the child, but the tree
which also prefers to be planted
by the shallow stream in partial light
though dappled shade will do.
But don’t forget the small child,
lovely and full in faith,
hidden high like stone fruit
within wavy-edged leaves
and legends of crosses.
It is here she keeps the secrets
of a girl reading herself concentrically
into dogwood rings,
one page at a time,
and of a woman – now counted as heartwood.
Interview with David Dixon
by Amanda Iacampo, Pine Row Editorial Board
What inspired you to write "How to Care for a Dogwood”?
It’s a beautiful story shared by two friends, Heather and John. As a young girl, Heather lived with her family on a small local farm. She loved to read, even then, and found a magical place to escape with her favorite book: high up and hidden in the perfect crook of a dogwood tree. Eventually, her family moved, but years later she became good friends with John and his wife, the new owners of the property. Last year, the dogwood tree died but John was able to keep enough wood to have a beautiful small box crafted for Heather by a local furniture maker. It was perfect.
John asked me if I would write a poem to put inside the box along with other gifts. It is one of the very few poems I have ever written by request and is dedicated to Heather who is every bit the good and lovely person you imagine that little girl would grow up to be.
What brought you to start writing poetry?
I fell in love with Richard Brautigan’s poems and thought, “I can do that!” I was wrong.
How would you describe your writing style?
I find I am constantly aware of the underlying flow and movement of a poem—the music. So, rhythm is important, not in a structured sense, but more the feeling. A good poem should move and point to that which is indescribable. “I don’t know what that means, but I like it,” is one of my favorite compliments. An incomplete list of poets I admire includes: Jane Hirschfield, Wendell Berry, Bob Hicok, Mary Karr, and I consider Mary Oliver and Jim Harrison to be my poetic parents. A strange couple perhaps, and I miss them both.
How do you balance your careers as a physician, poet, and musician?
Does one inspire the other? There is much they share, and I often feel they are different doors that open into the same plaza. I consider myself better at each because of the other two. Balanced? Not sure about that, but the three are becoming more equal friends by the day.
What is your writing process like? How often do you write?
I am fairly undisciplined regarding having strict writing hours, but instead, try to remain in a constant state of astonishment as suggested by Mary Oliver. I write much of my poetry as I walk or hike nearby trails. Very little is not potentially a poem; one must go out and find it. You’ll have something good to bring home. Sitting down and putting it on paper is the easy part.
David Dixon is a physician, poet, and musician who lives and practices in the foothills of North Carolina. His poetry has appeared in Rock & Sling, The Northern Virginia Review, Connecticut River Review, FlyingSouth, Sand Hills Literary Review, and elsewhere. His first book of poetry The Scattering of Saints is forthcoming.