| Pete Dashwood 2006-11-25, 3:55 am |
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"Alistair" <alistair@ld50macca.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1164378597.315908.206060@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Pete Dashwood wrote:
>
> I too had my heart broken a long time ago. I also wrote a poem.
> Unfortunately it was an epic load of shite and has long been discarded.
> I have only tried twice since then to write poetry, in the form of
> blues ditties. Sadly, I've managed to misplace them so you can thank
> your God that you will not be subjected to poetry on a par of the Vogon
> Captain (see Hitch-Hikers ...)
>
Never mind, Alistair.
We all recover eventually, and the fact that you wrote something probably
helped.
You shouldn't be embarrassed about it, even if its terrible. If it comes
from the heart, it has value.
I have sat in some poetry workshops that would make the Vogon captain gnaw
his leg off... : -) but, to the person writing it, it has value. Besides,
the act of doing it is far more important than the actual format, or even
the content.
Of course, those insightful few who can bring it all together: format,
content, and having something worth saying, become the "greats" that we
revere, and that children have to study in English classes...
I don't write much poetry these days (except for exercises in writing
workshops), but sometimes it can be amusing as well as a relief valve.
Here's one that was written simply as an exercise. But it caused outrage and
anger from some of the ladies present... (this makes it more valuable in my
eyes :-)))
Poetry exercise: Find 5 favourite words and use them in a poem.
( I chose...mellifluous, concatenation, triskaidekaphobia, plangent, and
skank)
TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA
you look and sound
the part
the concatenation of
headband, tank top, mini skirt and high heels
is supposed to suggest sophistication
your whining knife edge wheedling
has been modulated
into mellifluous melodic murmurs
the face is painted
just a little too much
the cacophony on the iPod
replaced with something plangent
It is a brave attempt
to look like a confident older woman
but I know you're still a thirteen year old skank
Writing and poetry are useful creative forms that cost no more than a pencil
and paper and so are within the reach of all.
Sometimes, it can be a releasing balance against the tightly constrained
creativity of computer programming, sometimes it is an outlet for emotional
overload, sometimes it is just fun to do and may have no artistic merit
whatsoever. (Like the above... :-))
I would encourage everyone to write poetry; it doesn't have to rhyme, it
doesn't have to be "good", the action of doing it will simply make you feel
better...
Pete.
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