THE PROBLEM WITH POETRY

Last week when I posted a poem for Poetry Friday, StableGranny had this to say:

"poetry is the picking flowers, bird watching, take a nap on your way to get some place... write me a poem that is put you foot down and get there."

I just shook my head in sadness when I read that comment. Because looking at the small things, exploding the moment -- that's pretty much the point of poetry. It requires the writer to take time and look closely at something, and it promises the reader a new perspective or awareness. If the reader will only take the time too.

And while it saddens me that our world moves so fast sometimes that poetry gets lost, I'm thinking that all of us poets can learn from this comment:

Less is more.
Say it.
Get there.
Then get out of the poem.

I've written a number of poems this week with this advice in mind. But I don't care what StableGranny says: I still love a meandering poem that picks flowers, bird watches and takes a nap. :)

For more poetry, Libby has Poetry Friday Roundup at A Year of Literacy Coaching.

painting by De Scott Williams