Step Two: Editing the Emailed Poem

Upon receipt of the emailed poem. The subject of the photograph is directed to edit the poem by process of reduction. Words should not be moved or shortened, but the subject may remove as much of the text, including all or none, that they see fit. They may whittle the poem to make it more accurate, feeling misrepresented in the text, or because they enjoy a phrase found buried in the larger text, or simply because the find the writing obtuse. This is easily accomplished by using the strike-through feature available in most word processor and email interfaces. Below is the poem that Mr. Isaac wrote inspired by Mr. Smith's portrait. The words that are struck-through are those that Mr. Smith wants redacted in the final version. (This is the only time an unredacted poem will be published or seen by anyone. It is only shown here for explanatory purposes.)

"A stack of books, a fleece, scarf, cigarettes. in the story about grandfather, he was killed by a raining shower of nicotine cartons during late shift at the convenience store. The family bore it as a badge of pride. For two years there was a parade. One of the parades lasted a year. He can stand up now, smirk the world away, when he thinks of new ladder technologies, industrial strength tape. His mother worries, because that's how mothers survive, and red wine. The hair may go dylanesque in time, but Seattle winds don't worry him. Nightlife doesn't scare him, crush or turn him on, but its where he finds his cigarettes. Pre formed and ready to smoke, the book bag that's also the beer bag that's also a clumsy pizza box when one neighborhood is out of marlboro's, he's not a cowboy, but advertising reaches even here, hands in pockets of carhartts he got for work at a job with carhartt owning listed as perks. There are winds and ladders and stacks of stacks of many things in his future but smirks are shields and he is not afraid." - Graham Isaac

The new poem is,

"In the story he killed the family bore. For two years there was a parade. A world away he thinks his mother worries. Survive Seattle on cigarettes and beer. A clumsy cowboy reaches hands in pockets, afraid."

The meaning of the poem has quite clearly changed after the redaction. This shortened version is a collaboration between subject and author.

Step Three: Redacting the Poem