only recently a friend introduced me to poetry, both reading and writing it. now I know I can only think in poetry phrases (is that a word?) and express them when I'm strongly emotional (angry, sad, happy). otherwise I'd pick up the phone and have a chat with a friend. or go to the market. or the park. so far a new favourite is Wendy Cope (not very radical, but het work gets me in a more hopeful mood. sometimes). be well!
I know what you mean about strong emotions, and that most of the time emotions aren't strong enough to do a poem or revolution or whatever. Maybe that's the problem. Not enough people experience enough strong emotions to say 'what the fuck?!' and enact a revolution. Most people have only had 'nice' lives and 'nice' upbringings'. And most people only want 'nice' lives. Which is understandable.
Or maybe I've experienced too strong emotions and should just...
go for it! not many are able to translate their emotions into something palatable for others, for a gazillion reasons I guess. as long there's a trigger people can and will communicate, but it's not easy to find wheren that switch sits.
Well... This explains a lot! Motion was on one of the poetry books I had to read a university and wow... Boring.
Your poetry reminds me of all those who wrote it between 1800 and 1970. I'm reminded of Plath, to be honest. I found her poetry angry but cleansing at the same time... If that makes sense.
You have my complete sympathy re having to study Motion! (slang word for a poo too - I could’ve/should’ve made something out of that; combine it with from where his stuff comes out of).
Your being reminded of Plath is quite possibly one of the best and most wonderful comments I could’ve hoped for! I am totally grateful and totally flattered! Thank you!
I just posted some more. I think you will like them. Your own is astounding, Gloria. I just read three of yours and you made me cry. I'm a cat lover too, so that kind of explains it. You are a better poet than I am because I am a self-absorbed kind of poet. You can do more than that. So that means you are better. imho.
only recently a friend introduced me to poetry, both reading and writing it. now I know I can only think in poetry phrases (is that a word?) and express them when I'm strongly emotional (angry, sad, happy). otherwise I'd pick up the phone and have a chat with a friend. or go to the market. or the park. so far a new favourite is Wendy Cope (not very radical, but het work gets me in a more hopeful mood. sometimes). be well!
Wendy Cope is good.
I know what you mean about strong emotions, and that most of the time emotions aren't strong enough to do a poem or revolution or whatever. Maybe that's the problem. Not enough people experience enough strong emotions to say 'what the fuck?!' and enact a revolution. Most people have only had 'nice' lives and 'nice' upbringings'. And most people only want 'nice' lives. Which is understandable.
Or maybe I've experienced too strong emotions and should just...
go for it! not many are able to translate their emotions into something palatable for others, for a gazillion reasons I guess. as long there's a trigger people can and will communicate, but it's not easy to find wheren that switch sits.
Thanks for sticking with me, Mary-Lou. It means a lot.
I think I shall post more of my poetry. I have several collections where that came from...
Your poems are very cool indeed, and I feel the emotion through the intro! Let it out, I say!!
Yay! I shall - I have more like that...
You might like this series of fragments, starting here: https://inadifferentplace.substack.com/p/lifer?r=2s9hod
Thanks, I'll check it out
The hidden rhythm
Of life's mysterious verse
The sound of a leaf.
I feel you, Evie. It gets tough sometimes, but, you know, the storm shall pass.
This one is from 1978, and things didn't change a bit.
____________________________
Harry made a bareback rider proud and free upon a horse
And a fine coal miner, for the NCB that was
A fallen angel, Jesus on the cross
A skating ballerina, you should have seen her do the skater's waltz
_______
Some people have got to paint and draw
Harry had to work in clay and stone
Like the waves coming to the shore
It was in his blood and in his bones
______________
He was ignored by all the trendy boys in London, yes and in Leeds
He might as well have been making toys or strings of beads
He couldn't be
No, he couldn't be
In the gallery
And then you get an artist says he doesn't want to paint at all
Just takes an empty canvas, sticks it on a wall
Birds of a feather, all the phonies and all of the fakes
_____________
While the dealers, they get together
And they decide who gets the breaks
And who's going to be
Who's going to be
In the gallery
In the gallery
_____________
No lies, he wouldn't compromise
No junk, no string
And all the lies we subsidize
They just don't mean a thing
________________
I've got to say he passed away in obscurity
And now all the vultures, they're coming down from the tree
He's going to be
He's going to be
In the galle-, galle-, galle-, gallery
In the gallery
_______________-
Harry made a bareback rider
Made a bareback rider
________________
By Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits
Well... This explains a lot! Motion was on one of the poetry books I had to read a university and wow... Boring.
Your poetry reminds me of all those who wrote it between 1800 and 1970. I'm reminded of Plath, to be honest. I found her poetry angry but cleansing at the same time... If that makes sense.
You have my complete sympathy re having to study Motion! (slang word for a poo too - I could’ve/should’ve made something out of that; combine it with from where his stuff comes out of).
Your being reminded of Plath is quite possibly one of the best and most wonderful comments I could’ve hoped for! I am totally grateful and totally flattered! Thank you!
Brilliant!
Thank you! I've been getting a lot of encouragement about this so I think I shall make a habit out of my poetry again.
Astounding!!
I just posted some more. I think you will like them. Your own is astounding, Gloria. I just read three of yours and you made me cry. I'm a cat lover too, so that kind of explains it. You are a better poet than I am because I am a self-absorbed kind of poet. You can do more than that. So that means you are better. imho.
Thank you, Evelyn. I am looking forward to reading all your work.
You invoked Sedna, so of course it's a delighted 'yes, give me more' from me.
Yeah - I noticed you invoked her too of course, so that probably twitched something. In a positive way, naturally.