I was having this conversation with a friend just the other day, exhorting him to shift as much of his time from consuming to producing as possible, if not for his art's sake just for his mental health and to unplug from the consumerist mindset. A timely poem, James, thank you.
Thanks for reading and really great advice, Thomas—especially in today's environment. (I also think that the world would be better for it if he were to use those tools of consumption to start sharing what he makes with others.)
Many thanks! For me at least, it leads me to write down what might not otherwise occur to me, but I'm no stick-in-the-mud about it. I love all kinds, I'm just personally kind of shabby at free verse.
When you read it out loud it is more fun though! Yeah, I don’t think I’m form-averse. I think at the moment I’m enjoying free verse but I’m not one of those people who think other forms are too restrictive. I just don’t feel a calling for them at the moment.
That’s what I’m enjoying about poetry. It’s like being into “music” there really is so much more there.
Oh yes, quite familiar with Burnham but also that song in particular. Darkly hilarious and very much in the same ballpark. Thanks for sharing this, I needed to hear it again. :)
Absolutely. One of the lessons I personally took away from Sir Gawain was that order, virtue and a kind of moral code were all essential to the health of a culture—but who polices the code and keeps it in check? That's nature's job. The forest should place boundaries on the village, not the other way around.
James, this was an interesting poem that I read over several times. The photograph below it was also fascinating. I'm not sure that I have grasped your intent, so I'm going to read several more times. I like wrestling with meaning.
Thanks for reading so carefully, Sandy. I find that with poems like this that have such short lines, they work better by implying more than they might outright explain or dictate.
It's a bit of the same with the photo—I very rarely go out and try to take a picture that might coincide with a post; most of them come from archives, and I try to find one that matches the sentiment if not the subject matter. (This one in particular I took very late at night on a very quiet stretch of road where I used to live.)
All that's a roundabout way of saying that for this one, I don't think there's a singular "right" way to read the lines or the photo. Hopefully they're enough to suggest ideas or images you might resonate with on your end.
James, I think I've got an interpretation. It's the story of life. The light we see when we're born; the journey through life, and they the final light as we move into an unknown world. Am I close?????
I like it! I personally saw it as lights that, while dazzling, offer a trade we shouldn't really participate with. But that's just what I felt I was exploring; there are certainly many interpretations and I don't think any particular one is invalid. Really appreciate such a close reading, too, Sandy; if folks spend even a fraction of the time it took to write a poem by reading it, I feel satisfied I helped it do its job!
Yes indeedy. Thankfully, I think folks are starting to come around to that and they're starting to reclaim more of themselves. Thanks for reading, Mark.
"And ceased to make"
I was having this conversation with a friend just the other day, exhorting him to shift as much of his time from consuming to producing as possible, if not for his art's sake just for his mental health and to unplug from the consumerist mindset. A timely poem, James, thank you.
Thanks for reading and really great advice, Thomas—especially in today's environment. (I also think that the world would be better for it if he were to use those tools of consumption to start sharing what he makes with others.)
You always have such nice rhythm to your poems.
Many thanks! For me at least, it leads me to write down what might not otherwise occur to me, but I'm no stick-in-the-mud about it. I love all kinds, I'm just personally kind of shabby at free verse.
When you read it out loud it is more fun though! Yeah, I don’t think I’m form-averse. I think at the moment I’m enjoying free verse but I’m not one of those people who think other forms are too restrictive. I just don’t feel a calling for them at the moment.
That’s what I’m enjoying about poetry. It’s like being into “music” there really is so much more there.
This poem kind of has me staring through the screen and letting out a sigh of agreement. Very well captured. Makes me wanna reconsider my choices.
I don't know if you know Bo Burnham, but he did a song called "Welcome to the Internet," which I am reminded a bit of when reading this: https://youtu.be/k1BneeJTDcU?si=TAZCGSXBGC9qTi62
Oh yes, quite familiar with Burnham but also that song in particular. Darkly hilarious and very much in the same ballpark. Thanks for sharing this, I needed to hear it again. :)
Marshall McLuhan says about the light bulb that it creates it's own environment, it's own medium.
I like to think of nature as medium that we, despite our efforts, don't really get to to create. In some sense, we can only destroy this medium.
Absolutely. One of the lessons I personally took away from Sir Gawain was that order, virtue and a kind of moral code were all essential to the health of a culture—but who polices the code and keeps it in check? That's nature's job. The forest should place boundaries on the village, not the other way around.
Oh wow yeah I like that insight!
James, this was an interesting poem that I read over several times. The photograph below it was also fascinating. I'm not sure that I have grasped your intent, so I'm going to read several more times. I like wrestling with meaning.
Thanks for reading so carefully, Sandy. I find that with poems like this that have such short lines, they work better by implying more than they might outright explain or dictate.
It's a bit of the same with the photo—I very rarely go out and try to take a picture that might coincide with a post; most of them come from archives, and I try to find one that matches the sentiment if not the subject matter. (This one in particular I took very late at night on a very quiet stretch of road where I used to live.)
All that's a roundabout way of saying that for this one, I don't think there's a singular "right" way to read the lines or the photo. Hopefully they're enough to suggest ideas or images you might resonate with on your end.
James, I think I've got an interpretation. It's the story of life. The light we see when we're born; the journey through life, and they the final light as we move into an unknown world. Am I close?????
I like it! I personally saw it as lights that, while dazzling, offer a trade we shouldn't really participate with. But that's just what I felt I was exploring; there are certainly many interpretations and I don't think any particular one is invalid. Really appreciate such a close reading, too, Sandy; if folks spend even a fraction of the time it took to write a poem by reading it, I feel satisfied I helped it do its job!
Down with mindless consumption and tech-dependent thought.
Yes indeedy. Thankfully, I think folks are starting to come around to that and they're starting to reclaim more of themselves. Thanks for reading, Mark.