Beyond Decent Poets

Katey(One Good Bumblebee / formerly Chewing on Pencils) reports on her disagreement with a fellow poet in AIM over the significance of the meaning of a poem. The argument is not a new one but I have to say that I believe the real issue is not the importance of the meaning but rather how important is it that the meaning of the writer and the perception of the reader be one in the same.

First of all, none of us share the same life experiences. Because of that, our exposure to concepts and even reality is limited to our own personal sphere of influence. What we have seen, read, felt, smelled, experienced in any of a number of ways. Most of us are not going to look at any three words paired together and necessarily come to the same point.

I believe both Katey and I for example have posted the subliminals on our blogs. We likely don't often match the same words. Much in this same way, we may read the same poem and find vastly different meaning. After all, of all literary forms poetry is the most compact usage of language and therefore the most introspective.

Katey's AIM friend suggests that this will not happen if the poet is a decent poet. May I politely suggest that this is a pile horse crap! By this fellow's standards, a lot of poets just fell from grace. My assessment is that poetry is for the most part a collaborative between the writer and the reader. As a writer my own feeling is that as soon as I put something out there in the public view, be becomes subject to collaborative views of the readers.

What the hell is a"decent" poet anyway? One fully clothed?

Bolivia Postcard Poems

My first real contact with postcard poems came from an NPR broadcast which touched on the process of exchanging post cards with short poetic verse and how one such exchange produced the words of Wyn Cooper "Fun" that turned into Sheryl Crows 1993 Grammy-winning son, "All I Wanna So."

My next intro to postcard poems was via the collaborations between Cassie Lewis and Del Ray Cross that started I believe in 2001 and resulted in a chapbook. Another collaboration between Stephanie Young and Cassie Lewis was also published in a chapbook.

The whole concept of postcard poetry is very interesting to me and so I was anxious to see yet another example of this form of poetic exchange.

Bolivia Postcard Poems by Linda Pope and James A. Collins is a 34 page work that is the result of their longest separation to this point, a week that Linda spent on a Mission trip to Bolivia.

I was impressed with the raw honesty of feeling that seemed to leap from the print as I read through the chapbook. Even in anticipation of the departure Linda's gummy bears... Oklahoma air and the scent of jac's body fresh from the shower provide a very intimate image.

Linda shares the stage with physical feelings (sickness) as well as emotional. She puts it all out there including the manner in which the native people touch her life.

James prayerful in verse... I get the feeling that he finds some comfort and solitude in nature through Linda's absence. In some way, it feels like that perhaps rather than a substitute for her, it brings him closer to her.

One of my favorite verses... "and the rain came / to wash away the night / van winkle's bowlers / scored strikes til 4 a.m."

In Linda and James collaborative effort I see a personal dynamic that send a strong message about the comfort of poetic expression that gives a great deal of relevancy to this medium in today's society.

Many of you may know James through his blog: Love During Wartime which won the Stick Poet Blog Sweeps this fall.

Copies of Bolivia Postcard Poems are available E-mail James

Fair and Balanced

blisterpacks protecting environmental issues
from unsightly blemishes

war and rumors of same
are fought with an antidote of strong black coffee
and prozac

while embedded reporters sleep with sheep
and other neurotic high ranking officials
in cozy quarters
free of the pressures of truth

This Past Weeks - Top Five Poetry Blogs from Stick Poet

No. 5 Craig Hill's Poetry Score Card (new this week)

No. 4 The Chatelaine's Poetics (last week No. 3)

No. 3 Blue kangaroo (last week No. 3)

No. 2 Poetry Hut Blog (two weeks in a row at No. 2)

No. 1 Chewing on Pencils (five weeks in a row at No.1)

Some great blogging this week!

Thanks to Jean!

I now know what normal is.

I also know it is Friday and time to call it a day.

Day!

I have to satisfy my readers with this weeks top five petry blogs - but that will come later this evening.

Wine & Poetry

"I'll drink to that!" - Stick Poet

Subliminals

Thought associations...

1. Mitchell:: Martha
   
2. Mercury:: dime
   
3. Cycle:: moon
   
4. Engagement:: wedding
   
5. Alternative:: music
   
6. Gang:: bang
   
7. Emotional:: moody
   
8. Skinny:: svelte
   
9. Hypochondriac:: complain
   
10. Insecure:: lacking