How To Be a Poet
(to remind myself)
by Wendell Berry
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your work,
doubt their judgment.
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
There are only sacred places
And desecrated places.
from Given New Poems © Shoemaker, Hoard, Washington, D.C.
6.15.2006
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16 comments:
miss snark, will you marry me?
thank you.
Back off buster, she's mine
excuse me?
ya, excuse YOU, you pot bellied, pig lover.
I think my dog just called me a pig.
This night is really going to hell in a handbag.
I kinda LOOK like George Clooney! (Waits hopefully while the Goddess of Snark clicks on the name and checks out the picture on the profile-btw, it's when I was only 12).
Oh wait-already married. Ahhh well, it was such a pretty thought.
Most people think they are POETS because they can string together completely abstract, jarring words in an odd pattern across a page - being obscure for the sake of being obscure does not poetry make... (sorry, I'm a little biased, I've been reading poetry submissions all week)
who says i'm a "buster"?
and george, we can share her. i don't mind.
How to write (poetry):
Don't think. Write. Leave the thinking for the editing. -JTC
This poem by Berry is one of my favorites. Thanks.
Not a poet myself, however, I read poetry submissions (volunteer for a literary e-zine), and am amazed at the talent "out there." Personally, I like narrative poetry, or, poetry that isn't about the poet's ego, but about the images and emotions it evokes. This poem on the surface seems so simple, but under that little lapping pool is a full strong lush world.
glad I read it. needed to.
Thanks Miss Snark, that was great!
Apparently, Miss Snark, George Clooney is saving himself for you:
http://buggydoo.blogspot.com/2006/06/thanks-lot-clooney.html
Ahhh, lovely Miss Snark. I hadn't read this poem before. Thank you for posting it.
best,
lj/lisa
I was so inspired that I retrieved a poem from my satchel:
Kinky clown, Kinky clown
Take me with you when you drown
Cause Kinky Clown never frowns
Kinky clown, Kinky clown
Take me with you when you drown
Cause Kinky Clown never downs his booze
Kinky clown, Kinky clown
Take me with you when you drown
Cause Kinky Clown never browns his nose
Kinky clown, Kinky clown
Take me with you when you drown
Cause Kinky Clown never clowns around
Without Kinky the clown
We would all drown
Anon poet,
put that poem back in the satchel,
remove to safe place,
add gasoline and road flare.
Thank you.
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