poetry-the guts of me



I am not from the poet
mostly I am confused by their words
as they fly whimsically in and out of reality

I am from the dirt
straight forward raw, gut eating dirt
because it talks to me

"you cannot go home again"
"BULLSHIT", David Lee says
"I go home every day"

that's straight to me
no dancing around a metaphor
trying to find the smell of a rose

see, "a rose by any other name"
would be a turnip or an onion
but it wouldn't be a rose

but that is me
I cannot be what I am not
and I am not Rumi

I am polished by the dirt
that I have been thrown into
sculpted into a clod damn writer

                                                       gsbatty/July 2013

For most of my life I have thought of poetry as...to be honest...nothing...words written that could not be deciphered. But, as I began to write myself and tried to read and understand what poetry really is, I have begun to nurture a true love and understanding of poetry.

In my quest for the knowledge of poetry I subscribe to "The Writer's Almanac" (writersalmanac.org) where I get a daily poem and it is on audio if you choose. I highly recommend this site to anyone who would like to start their day with a great poem.

I also subscribe to (http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/). This blog is by Ivan Granger and his quest is to introduce readers to the poetry. It is here that I learned about Rumi and the Persian poets. It is truly a remarkable blog and I give it a five star rating.

One of my favorite poets is David Whyte (http://www.davidwhyte.com/). His poetry flows like the water of a beautiful stream and to listen to him recite poetry is pure heaven. If you have not heard David Whyte and his poetry, take a few moments to spend with him.  It will be well worth your time.

But, being from the dirt type of writer, my favorite poet is David Lee. David Lee is known as the pig poet.
http://pigpoet.com/Pig_Poet/Bits_of_Poetry.html

The following words from David Lee's site...



You can’t go home again
T.Wolfe

That’s shit
Bill Holm

Who sed that ?
Did somebody say that
or was it in one of them dam books you read ?

It don’t matter
it’s a pile of crap
I go home ever day
don’t matter where I am
I’m the prodigal son coming back
I don’t even need a Greyhound bus
I can go to my town right now
right here talking to you
because this
is everywhere
I’ve ever been

from “My Town” by David Lee


"I'm often quoted for saying, 'I write for people who think they don't like poetry.' While I may not have said that, I don't disagree with it"....David lee


David Lee was the poet who taught me that poetry is not merely words dancing around a metaphor. Poetry is life. It is about you and me and the poor little girl chained to a tree. It is about the dirt and sun and the sky we fly in.

12 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 07, 2013

    I love this Grizz and I love your writing exactly as it is, its real, honest and it makes sense (I love poetry but sometimes I get lost too). You have a fabulous sense of humor and you are a killer story teller =)

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    1. your words make me dance in the sky like a metaphor looking for a poem

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  2. This is awesome, and I can relate. Although my blog is dominated by poetry, I don't claim to be a poet, or even sometimes understand it. Also, the Writer's Almanac rocks!

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    1. hanks Heidi...always appreciate a visit and a few words

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  3. Replies
    1. thanks Melanie...and please note that this time I spelled "thanks" right

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  4. Polished by dirt..I love that. There are times I get my writing head in the clouds and my pen produces crap. lol Great piece!

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    1. thanks Susie....I guess the thing we need to do is keep on writing

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  5. smiles...i would rather be of the dirt, the connection to nature, the earth...being grounded firmly in reality...

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    1. Thanks Brian...I appreciate a word of two from you...you are a very good poet.

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  6. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013

    The further we remove ourselves from the dirt, the less we understand ourselves. Our minds might take whimsy and fly, but we are lost when our feet forget the feel of earth. Enjoyed this Grizz, well expressed!

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    1. thanks ss...your words are also important. I enjoy your writing so a word or two from you makes my wring fingers tingle with excitement.

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