The meaning of Poetry (or any good story)

[Frank]

THE MEANING OF POETRY

Step one - read this poem by former poet laureate of the USA Billy Collins
Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to water-ski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

Step two - Read my take on this poem

I think that too many people read a poem and right away want to know what it means.
A poem is an experience, a thrill ride at an amusement park, a sensual pleasure like a good cigar or a fine wine. Sip it, taste the flavor and if you don’t like it spit it out. End of story - no need to know “what it means”- FRANK
Now having said that I will present my poem but I will not tell you what it means.

Step three - read my poem and tell me what you think

2 Living breathing Poems by Frank

I have to say I was not thinking
of poetry, but there she was
in the grocery store, discussing produce
prices with her son who was hoping
to survive the ordeal. We passed
each other, she was going one way and I the other
the way was narrow,
so I let her go first,
I extended my arms out
as if holding a door open for her and
strangely enough, she noticed and rewarded me
with a ‘thank you young man’. I especially liked
the way she said young, reminding me
of days long past when I did hold open doors
for older ladies. Some time later, same store, same day,
same two people pass again. We do the same dance,
even though we are now going back the other way,
each of us having reversed our direction,
this time there is only ‘thank you again.’ but I am happy
with that. Her son comes rushing up her, hands in air,
there you are, he tells her (as if she did not know).
He tells her they are done, she says good, can we go get our
food now. He says, yes I think it is ready now.
Now I am in the parking lot, loading my car, I see her again
she is standing in front of the Chinese take-out joint,
looking like she has lost something but I know it is not her sense
she may be silver in hair and slight, but there is still sparklers
lit in those eyes. No, she has lost her son, who stands four car
spaces away loading his or is it hers ? groceries in their car.
Neither can see the other, but I, the poet can see them both.
As the poet, I wonder how this will end, should I interfere,
or leave it to the imagination of the reader ? No, I think the
reader deserves closure and while I am thinking that she discovers
where he is and waves and then goes into the Chinese joint.
I don’t know what happened next as I drove away but you
the reader deserve some sort of an ending so, as I am walking back
from the car to my house, a very young lady rides her training wheel
equipped bike up to me and says “hello.” and I say hello back
and then she says “goodbye.” and rides away.

[Ang Monsoon]

call you "sceptical" Frank, surely not!!! I esp. like the 3rd one too.."you grab them" makes me think who grabs them? why? what's going on here? what's the story?....

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

"You" grab them. Because if you don't, "You" will never know what "We" have to offer "You".

[Ang Monsoon]

mmm....food for thought...

Ok, Dark Angel, Frankielle, I said i was going to try a reverse lurve poem cos you're one was so good. It hasn't come out hum, as I suspected hum poems don't seem to land on my window ledge. Here's 3 very quick reverse lurve poems.

Very Quick Reverse Lurve Poem

Reverse love
like a reverse rain-mac
you can wear it either side,
any weather,
ready to go.

Slightly Slower Rerverse Love Poem

Reverse love,
like medicine on a spoon,
sticky, sweet masking bitter,
then washed down with tea,
at every opportunity.

Even slightly slower reverse love poem

Reverse love.
Like an umbrella
bent inside out by the rain.
What felt like shelter
was no shelter at all.
Reverse love.
It was luxuriant, like a rainforest.
Now there's worrying signs of devastation.
It's only the weather,
some would say.
Just turn your reverse love back
the other way

[Frank]

LOve 'em Angie !
especially the last one.
Why did you write more in the last time period ?
Did you cheat ?

[Ang Monsoon]

i dunno frank, i couldn't cheat ' cos i just did them all quick, i didn't time 'em, but i knew you'd want to know how long they took, so I just made it up, to keep you happy......why did you stop posting the Medicine Book prompts in Gratitude by the way, i was enjoying them.........

[Frank]

I forgot about the medicine poetry prompts and
Unfortunately I lent my book to someone so I'll have to wait a least a week to do that again.

But here goes a prompt from yesterday's class:

Vacation


the word literally means to leave
the act of going from
some place, the usual place
the formal declaration that
you are doing something new
(1 min)
Does the soul take one ?
Do we get to let go and try
something new ? Is that what lifetimes are?
Where to go ? What to do ?
Do we plan it all in advance or fly by the seat of our trousers ?
(2 min.)
Sabbatical, furlough, getting out of town,
walk the appalachian trail
or dance with the south american beauty
it can not be explained but I know which I would do
(3 min.)

[Ang Monsoon]

what kindof class, Frank? I like this subject and the questions that you pose & particularly the last couple of lines. "Synchronicity!!" said the good witch from the wizard of oz....strangely i was just wondering where to go for my holiday this year.... i wouldn't mind writing on the subject of vacation here if you don't mind....i'd have like to have just done a quick poem reply but i'm tired, so i'm going to bed.

[Maureen]

Frank, I like your Vacation fast poems. "Does the soul take one?" "Is that what lifetimes are?" -- great insights for one minute poems!

Also like your reference on our South Carolina governor ... what a dork, but I kinda feel sorry for him too.

P.S. Did you hear that his Uruguay girlfriend was cheating on him?

[Maureen]

Sorry about the gossip. I watch too much news.

To make up for it, I wrote three fast poems on Vacation.

VACATION

1-minute poem
To me, vacation means
sitting on the front porch
as dusk settles,
listening to raindrops
on my pear tree,
and watching fireflies
wink against the
new night.

2-minute poem
(although as I was writing I glanced at the timer and noticed I forgot to press "start", so this could have been a 3-minute poem!)

Vacation
to me
means
sitting in the sun
letting it soak into my skin
not worrying about cancer
or kids
or money
or me ...

Vacation means
alone time
on the beach
or in the backyard,
a cup of tea
or lemonade,
watching the clouds idle
in their own ocean.

3-minute poem
To me
"vacation"
means
settling into the white wicker chair
on my front porch,
propping my feet on the wobbly wicker table,
watching cloud shadows
drift across the mountains
and waiting for a cardinal to visit,
flashing his scarlet feathers at me
if only for
an instant.

[Frank]

Angie:
Be my guest, write alll you want.
THe class is my Creative writing class which I lead. On wednesdays and some mondays.

the last one is me thinking about a politician here in the states who said he was walking the appalachia trail (a trail that is hundreds of miles long) but he was really meeting 'his soul mate' in Uruguay. Surprisingly, his wife does not commend his actions. BUt it did get me thinking about taking a vacation to Uruguay.

Be back tomorrow,
Frank

[Ang Monsoon]

thanks, Frank, I didn't know anything about the politician, but I liked the poem anyway. I think it is very apt that you wrote a poem about something in the news as your poems are hum & honest & satirical....you should have a weekly slot in the New York Times (only American paper I know the name of : thank you Billy Joel: "New York State of Mind", : "The New York Times, The Daily News - and don't correct me, ok I know the title of 2 papers, I love that song AND its about a vacation so it fits in with your vacation theme). Yes, anyway, you should have a weekly slot to write topical poems, and I intend that you will. So there!!!!!

[Maureen]

Angie, I LOVE BILLY JOEL! I LOVE "New York State of Mind" !! I think he is a genius.