Eight Lines

I've had an idea kicking about in my mind for the last couple of months and I've made a couple of attempts at starting to put it down on paper or, in my case, electronic file as I do most of my writing on my computer.  It all started from one of those "wouldn't it be cool" moments and as I've had success with them in the past, I decided to let this cook and see what happened.

Last night, after teaching a TKD class I stopped by a local chain restaurant, ordered a late dinner, had a couple of beers (Blue Moon and Sam Adams White Ale) and worked for about two (2) hours to get eight (8) lines into a shape I did not hate at the time.  To get these eight (8) lines I wrote around 30 and either discarded or changed them until I had the eight I wanted.  This is another reason I work via computer.  I can move the lines I discard around and save them until I do not hate the result and I don't end up with 15 sheets of paper of which I will lose only the most important.  Oh, and I back up my files at least weekly, so that's a worry-free issue.

Fine, all of this is "edge-of-the-seat" stuff, but what's the point?

It's the same point I've made before.  Poetry is art and art is communication.  I could have dashed off some lines in two (2) hours and forced rhymes if I wanted to and ignored structure because it took time and left the common words rather than finding the right ones and I could have been done with the poem and moved on to my next mediocre POS.  Instead I'll spend another month plus writing this thing or, in a week or so, decide it's not working and shelve it for a later date.

The point is that anyone can write but a poet, in my mind, has to be willing to go from concept to completion realizing that their first take may not be the final take.  I realise for some people the process for this is quicker than for others and not a lot of people need to work on things for weeks or months but it's not about the overall time, it is about the honest reflection.

I remember, when I was around 35 years younger than I am now, hearing about writing classes that graded you not only on your completed work but on the rough drafts you had created and if you had no rough drafts then your grade could not go above a C, no matter the finished product.  At the time I missed the point, mainly because, at that time, I wrote only from emotion and once a word was cast I never changed it.  There's a reason none of that writing appears in any of my collections. 

Just to be clear, I am not saying everyone should write like me.  What I am saying is that every poet should be willing to entertain critique and implement that critique and if they will not then their arrogance and not creativity is in charge and their writing will always suffer and their ego will always be bruised.

If that seems a bit harsh, too damn bad. 

I've come to realise that while I may have some talent for poetry, without editing little of what I do is memorable.  Editing either my own work or the work of others.  By looking at an idea and either adding, removing, or re-arranging the sharp edges, by supplementing the message and structure, by identifying the trite and under-thought passages, this is where we, as poets, go from pedantic middle school emotion to statements of purpose that inspire, frighten, coerce, and compel.

It's a choice we must make.  Do we want people to read out work and say "that's nice, I LOVE IT!"  like they would a cheeseburger from McDonald's or do we want people to read our work and be speechless?

If all you want is for people to pat you on the head, fine, you write whatever the hell you want.  If you want to be a poet, however, take the step and challenge yourself and others.  Be ready to offend and annoy.  Have the spine to tell someone, especially yourself, that something is bad and does not work.  And when you get a reply from those people calling you names, you'll know you've met someone who has no interest in being a poet.  At that point you can choose to use them as an example of how not to write or move on, your choice.

Because, truth be told, it's not the feeling of "finished" that drive me to write.  It's the wonder I feel when I look back, years later and think; "I wrote that?"  If you are writing once use poetry, poetry that depends on your emotional state at the time to smooth it out and to make it tolerable, you'll not see the point.  If you're writing for those moments when you realise that what you wrote was as good as you thought it was because it is still powerful and compelling even after you've disassociated the original emotional state from it, well then your ego can take a rest and your competence can take over.

The difference?  When people criticize poetry written in the former state, tempers flare.  When people criticize poetry written in the latter state, honest review takes place.  Honest review is not the blanket acceptance of every suggestion; it's just an honest consideration of points made.

And that, to me, is what separates poets from hobbyists.

Of course, I could be full of shit, I often am.  If you have a different opinion, speak out.  If you just want to call me names, please use something original.