Simple Act of Poetry
Reducing thoughts into poetry
Sometimes a simple act
Of listing points in little bits
Phrases shared with good intent
Moments saved before they’re gone
Little stories stretched too long
Then taking time
To make them rhyme
Or even neater
To cast them in meter
But it’s not always a necessity
To add in deep complexities
Long lost words
Some of my favorites
Aren’t always easily understood
And leave us wondering
Why our words aren’t always read
And no one comments
Nor gives critique
When criticism is what we seek
Or our abstract phrasing
Gets in the way
We weave those lines
Too tight to say
The simple message
Of why we pen
So we sigh
And write again
Many lines across the page
Yet deep inside
Confusion reigns
The knowledge that we wish to share
Vocabulary and verse prepared
To us it reads just as it should
But maybe we’ve erred
There’s a chance we could
Step away before we publish
Tough it is and filled with anguish
Save those lines and think a while
Imagine instead our audience
Perhaps a child of only twelve
Could they grasp our intention
Understand the words we’ve mentioned
Interpret our imagination
Dissect our thoughts
Feel our intention
Taste the sarcasm
Or romantic feelings
Enjoy the journey
Embrace the reasons
We wear our hearts upon our sleeves
So why do we make it hard to read
Competition, true
A driving force
But often not
As we’re the source
Of adding layers
A bed with blankets
Sheets and covers
Heavy quilts of wool and down
Heirlooms from several generations
And yet when we choose
To step away
Remove and observe
Before stripping them all away
That the bed remains
It hasn’t changed
But without the layers
It’s clearer
Feels nearer
And everyone can easily see
The peaceful slumber
In all its splendor
A simple act of poetry
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Nothing simple about poetry, nor the responses we can or do not get. I learned a long time ago from a fellow writer and poet, that what I write for instance is but a small group within possible readership. On the whole within the context of intellect and education, most of our general audience want simple to understand poetry. If that’s not our style or intention, then we will be read only by those that fit our mindset and purpose. Its hard to accept sometimes, but I’ve many people say to me, I just don’t understand your words. At first that was a shock, but the more I thought about it, it made sense. We can only be who we are, as writers and poets, and our audience may vary, but in the end we have to true to ourselves. I hear you Ralph.
Hey Tony, being true to ourselves is key. Although like painters, they go through transitions depending on the moods of the people and critics out there. Picasso as an example changed his style a couple of times for sure to go with the times. As a poet, I know that I struggle with rhyme, so I tend to lean more towards prose and free verse. Their is an always will be an audience for intellectual and deep meaning poetry, your style reaches out to no doubt the intellect, one who wants to have a deeper meaning to life issues. To sit back and really delve into your work, chew it, taste it’s deeper meanings I believe is very important. Styles and expressions from different poet’s is what makes the art so interesting. I primarily express myself in a melancholy, dreary, and often sad or depressive manner. But that’s my style, it’s what my Muse sends to me and my life experiences. So my friend don’t be too hard on yourself when asked that question about “understanding your words” they are simply being honest. We can’t please nor satisfy every reader, we always will have critics. I love your work, it hits a chord with me that enters my soul, true it can be complex, but I also enjoy complexity and it challenges my intellect as well. So keep doing what your doing my poet, and always stay true to yourself.
Oh the trials of a poet, Ralph. We all have our own style and way of expressing our thoughts. Using rarely used and unique words is an art in itself, and we’d like that to be appreciated as well as the rhyme, meter, cadence etc. etc. But then we have to consider who we are writing for, and who is likely to be our audience. If we are writing mainly for ourselves and our own growth as a writer and satisfaction, if it is for other poets to get their critique and appreciation for the complexities and artistry of our work, or is it for a more general and lay audience who have little knowledge or interest in the construction, form, and flowery language and who instead are attracted to a lively, lyrical, and easily understood message? I like to dabble in a little of everything from time to time but I do admit to writing mainly for the latter of these audiences, as well as my own self-satisfaction.
Far from simple, poetry is often complex with deep meaning not everyone can interpret. Your well penned thoughts are spot on, Ralph.
Ralph you indeed raise an interesting subject here about differences in writing styles, language used, word interpretation and audiences as well as meter, cadence etc. I know that for some people poetry is not their cup of tea, they either love it or hate it, I try to pen within the grey area to those who feel what I pen. I don’t want ever to confuse people with what I’m trying to convey. My style has always been geared to the ordinary laymen, not to the scholars of literature or people needing a dictionary beside them to look up words I may have used that they have no idea what they mean. I don’t want to confuse my audiences. Yet I give platitudes to those who can structure their work with the great use of the English word, expressing themselves to every audience. When I read any work that may be a little confusing to me, I re-read it a few times, will often look up phrases and their words to arrive at a better understanding of what they are conveying. Like Phyllis I totally agree that poetry is complex with deep meaning and various interpretations to a reader. This piece was totally understandable my friend, you made it look so easy with the flow of your mighty pen:-))
Seems I’ve hit a raw nerve with the TCE community. Not my intention, but alas, things do not always turn out as we planned them. It wasn’t an attack piece on any of the other writers who I’ve grown to cherish and would feel greatly diminished being separated from. I too have written volumes of complex pieces which many would say are indecipherable, but to me they had meaning and I wouldn’t change them for any reason.
Some genres of writing are geared towards the reader, what they want to hear. Poetry comes from the heart and soul of the poet, so, if a reader does not understand, it should never cause distress to the poet. If you, Ralph or Tony, ever changed your style and mastery to please only the reader, I would be devastated. You are who you are and greatly admired.
I dont know Ralph. I know I’m late to the party as usual but I feel if I simplify my stuff then I am only hurting myself and my growth as a writer. Yes poetry can be simplistic but does making it too simple dumb it down so much that the completed work loses the flair it had when we originally wrote it. I understand writing for an audience, but to compromise my work to appease someone else is not what I’m about. I like the metaphor of the bed but I guess Im the one who likes to nuzzle my mind underneath the wool blankets and layers. By the way great rhyming and flow, nice work brings up an interesting subject.
Ralph, I don’t feel you touched a raw nerve here, just brought up an interesting point of discussion that we all feel passionate about. It would be a sad literary world and very boring if we all embraced the same style.