Saturday, August 19, 2006

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I’ve decided to delete all my archives—it is a horrible thing to read your self a year later. I was far more interesting then or at least I discussed poetry. I discussed poetry five times in one month….IMAGINE.

Carolyn taught me that every word counts, for example if you have truck in a poem do you mean Ford? Do you mean green Ford? Do you mean green Ford with a flat tire? I have taught myself that sometimes I mean truck.

One of the things which really troubles me about modern poetry is the need to use words which do not appear in every day language. If I write a poem with a dictionary well then bravo, but the fact is what makes great poet great (in my opinion) poets like Celan and Sexton is that everyday language is their home.

If I wanted to tell you I love you, I would make sure you could understand the note. In art school you learn to reinvent every day images, that the most powerful tool to the eye are things recognized yet undistinguishable. Here is my poem. Would Dickson’s poem be so powerful if we did not all know the fly, how it buzzed? Have we not all watched a fly at some time in life flutter and fail? Have we not all tied ourselves somehow to that said fly? I heard a fly buzz before I died I did, I heard a fly buzz and it told me I was all and nothing at the same time.

5 comments:

Suzanne said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
LKD said...

Dearheart, I tagged you. And I tagged your dearheart too. (smile)

(for the book meme that's making the rounds....)

Oh, and don't delete your archives. Just do what I do--don't go back and reread them. I pretty much leave everything I've written behind the instant I'm finished writing it---unless I have an opportunity to read, and hell, I haven't read anywhere in so long that I'd probably die of stage fright before I ever opened my mouth...)

Unknown said...

Hey Treeze, I got a brochure for Palm Beach today -- they have a good lineup and I am so tempted! Mark Doty! OMG! And Heather McHugh! Do you think you'll be going?

Also, i agree with you about the weird words. I mean language is great and I love the sounds of words and all, but more syllables does not equal 'better word'. I like ordinary languge too, especially if it is used in strange and fresh ways.

666poetry-finchnot said...

can you believe
that i've never been tagged
good thing / /

i never know what the answers
to these questions are . . .


hey teresa / it's been a long time

i've kinda gotten out of the loop
as it were / not read ing much


i admit / that when i first started
writing poems / i used a dictionary
lol / i learn ed / never use words unless you know what they mean . . .

lol / if you can't pronounce them
in front of an audience / for get it

any ways . . .


i just write what comes out of my head
/ i think / most lee it's boring
but i'm sure there are moments of brilliance some where in my words
just not sure where



i'm finally going on a work ing holiday in september / gonna leave
home & go to vancouver for a couple of weeks / try & sort out a couple
manuscripts i have / do some mail outs / / damn / haven't done that in a while / can i face the rejection

i think i'm ready for it /

now that i'm not using all those
words . . .


hope you are well my dear

write me / if you have an inkling to
or the time /

take care

~jennx

early hours of sky said...

hi all--sorry I havent written anyone and that I've been awal. Hopefully I will get this life under control soon.