Tresspassing

[annaswirls]

another definition of POET

RECONCILIATION-Czeslaw Milosz
RECONCILIATION


Late, the time of humbling reconciliation
With himself, arrived for him.
"Yes" --he said--"I was created
To be a poet and nothing more.
I did not know anything else to do,
Greatly ashamed but unable to change my fate."


The poet: one who constantly thinks of something else.
His absentmindedness drives his people to despair.
Maybe he does not even have any human feelings.


But, after all, why should it not be so?
In human diversity a mutation, variation
Is also needed. Let us visit the poet
In his little house in a somewhat faded suburb
Where he raises rabbits, prepares vodka with herbs,
And records on tape his hermetic verses.

 

[annaswirls]

another from the poem a thon thread

so you want to be a writer?
Charles Bukowski

so you want to be a writer?
if it doesn't come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don't do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't do it.
if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.
if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,
don't be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don't add to that.
don't do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in
you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

 

[impressive]

Re: another from the poem a thon thread

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in
you.

 

[foehn]

Re: Now I know!

I've been trolled -- all of 'em -- all 13 poems. Very recently, too -- as my member page doesn't yet reflect the massive loss of Hs.

It's official! I'm a poet.

It would be interesting, just for a lark, to get L & M to post a few famous poems that are in the public domain, under pseudonyms, just to see what kind of votes they get, and how many reads.

This is the argument with poetry I've had for the last ten years or so. Almost nobody in our "normal" (non)culture needs it... or even knows what it is.

I imagine Angles and Saxons gathered around an ancient fire, full of mead, regaling each other with bawdy or sentimental verses they fashioned in their minds during a day of hunting, warring, or sharpening things that needed sharpening; or reciting quoted history from their parents or grandparents. That's not going back quite far enough, of course.

As for voting, the first week I was here I may have voted a few 3's. The next month, I only voted 4's and 5's. Now, I either vote 5's or I don't vote. There are plenty of ignorant people who are willing, at the mere imagining of the drop of a hat, to knock us down to their imbecillic level.

America's standard of literacy seems to be measured by a capacity to read road signs...

"Let them eat cake...."

I guess....

 

[annaswirls]

pablo

f-

last year, someone posted a pablo neruda poem. I was doing reviews and while embarassed I did not recognize it, I was very glad I gave it a glowing review. I got an anon tip to check it out, and I did.

It did have some comments already, not sure what the vote was

I gave it a 5.




The true test is to post your OWN poem under a name no one knows, not even your friends, see how well it is received... maybe more than one for a good check.

 

[Belegon]

Imp, the only reason anyone votes five on your poems is that they want to sleep with you...


Or is that just me?


Seriously, you have some great stuff here. I know that I have felt some of the things you are feeling. Oddly enough, the first time I really felt accepted as a serious poet here was this...

you lost me
08/12/04 By: Maria2394
at "lustful gaze" ahh, Bele, you are a MUCH better writer than that!!! please, find something crisper for that part, okay?

and Maria, please don't take that poorly!!!

It meant I had created an expectation that my work would be strong. That she and others would have such expectations of me? Wow, did that feel good. That the people here that I respected respected me back? AMAZING!

My poetry muse is unfortunatly a most fickle bitch and I have not had anything come out lately. But I am sure she will return sooner or later...

 

[impressive]

Imp, the only reason anyone votes five on your poems is that they want to sleep with you...


Or is that just me?

It's just you ... but that's okay, because YOU is quite enough!