Good poetry; the undiscovered treasure of our nation...

For The Love Of Poetry

“For the love of poetry,” he said. “I do this because I love words and the people who love to hear a page sing. I leave an open spot in every day, not occupied by some hurried need for decisions, or attendance at another meeting where those present would never miss me if I didn’t attend. I live in a special cubicle of my life for the love of poetry.” The speaker said, word for word, exactly what I could have related if asked.

Shameful and regretted are too many years spent nibbling at the feast of the Muse; the offering of my kind of poetry, and deep satisfaction in writing and reading what appeals to me. An early victim of a lacking world in which poetry for those not exposed to it within the family, was highbrow rhyming making little sense. The same thing is happening today in an education system in which, “exposure” to poetry is limited a few hours in a classroom.

Along the way, I uncovered the best kept secret of poetry; free verse written as a story or an article, and sometimes, a news bulletin. The difference was simple; poetry didn’t follow the rules of composition, journalism, or, heaven forbid, the preferences of an individual teacher of language and literature. Such limits were laid out by those who considered all poetry to fit their parameters, or else it wasn’t taught to students.

A niece of mine, well into her middle years, convinced me that poetry’s worst enemy was the word itself. When asked about her evaluation of the highly successful musical, “The Phantom Of The Opera,,” she replied that she hadn’t seen it and didn’t intend to be bored by it. She explained, “It has the word, ‘opera’ in the title, so it has to be boring.”

However, and wherever used, the word, “poetry” brings a similar, and often stronger, reaction from too many persons not properly introduced to various forms of poetry, some of whom are well-read in other matters.

Today, some of us are frustrated to the point of recommending a new word to describe this many faceted word. But, what good that might do is highly debatable, and the difficulty of installing such a new word in our overburdened literary world is reason enough to forget it.

Yes, what a shame that so many in our nation are deprived of the joys of poetry, the love of special words to weave new and beautifully arranged words for expressing ourselves. Liking poetry would surely allow them to meet a mundane existence more smoothly, more brashly, and far more lovingly.

For the love of poetry, I am doing what a lone retiree with limitations of age can get done. I am strongly encouraged with the constantly expanding programs, events, and teaching methods being developed. For the love of life, poetry must become a part of discovery by those being cheated after too many misguided years. Each writer can do something to change things. Keep this in mind whenever an opening invites your input.