Friday, April 1, 2011

Poetry Project, V 2.0, day 1

Well, well...so it's finally here! Yep, National Poetry Month! That means it's time, kids - time to let you inner lyracist out to play, a field of words to pick and arrange upon the page! OK, here's the challenge, for those playing along and taking up the "Poem-a-Day Challenge":
1) original works only, but you can feel free to copy style if that's your thing.
2) please don't tear anyone's poem apart. It's not nice unless they ask you to do it. Yeah - that goes for me, too. Constructive criticism, however, is likely appreciated by most.
3) post a poem (or send me one) as often as you like. Once a week, just once - try it.
4) if you just want to share it privately with me, that's cool. Just let me know.
5) have FUN.

There is bad poetry out there, and many a good poet has written a metric ton of bad stuff. Yours (and mine) may be "bad poetry", but the point is to not care and explore. So please...explore with me. That being said, it's time to wear your beret and turtleneck shirt, light up a cigarette and play some bongos, ya beatnicks! Or we could just get to some poetry....

The Choice
Steel and wood, chisel and mallet -
My left holding the icy cold precision,
The warm soft grain of beech in my right -
a perfect tandem.

One strike to remove the ugliness,
swift and sure, no turning back,
the tool will decide the outcome.
In the hands of the artist, the steel cuts and digs as directed.

But the hands hold back the tools,
the imperfect remains on the piece,
The artist polishes the blemish,
working with nature's imperfection.

Finally, the artist looks at the finished piece,
seeing every choice made along the way.
The blemish is now the point of interest,
The choice was made for this moment -
And only the artist understands why.

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