Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wheels Of Motion
I happened to hear on Terry Wogan's radio show this morning, that today is National Poetry Day in the UK. In fact, all this week is National Poetry Week! Why am I just finding this information out just now, you may ask. Is it because it genuinely slipped through my sifting net or because of the amount of work I've been doing? Or is it just that I have seen it advertised nowhere and if they want to make it national, they should advertise it nationally.
Poetry is a wonderful thing. I don't believe there are any hard and fast rules to writing poetry, because that would detract from it's individuality. I learnt this the hard way. But I do think that what all poems have in common is the ability to show a slice of emotion, of someone's heart or soul, or shine a light on a glimpse of perfection, or imperfection. Poetry is the ability to say in so few words, what a novel might take to say in thousands. It is the capturing of an ounce of essence of the human soul.
But it's more than this. The word "poetry" turns a lot of people off because they automatically think of Wordsworth or Shakespeare. If someone says they aren't a fan of poetry, it's only because they haven't found the type they like. Poetry can be strong, soft, funny, provocative, disgusting, real, human, gentle, loving and hateful. It can be everything and yet in the mind of the reader, it can mean something totally different to so many.
The next time you are in a book shop, check out the poetry section and have a wee snoop. Or go online and check out some poets; just have a wee read and experiment.
Very, very tired this morning. My mood was little improved when I got to work due to the coolness in the office caused by it's failing air-conditioner. It's supposed to cool us in the sum and warm us in the winter - instead it does the opposite and because of all the cutbacks, the department in charge couldn't give a damn about it. So I spent most of the day in cold, flu-ripe conditions. I wonder if these arseholes will ever get their act together.
Speaking of arseholes, I had an encounter with more than my fair share today and I left work in an even worse mood as a result. The place is just not conducive to being a pleasant place to work any more. There are too many ego's and failed careers to make it enjoyable any more. Too many people with Teflon coated backs to make the place even worthy of attempting to change.
The difference is, I can change. I have done in the past and I can do it again. The wheels of motion are turning.
Poetry is a wonderful thing. I don't believe there are any hard and fast rules to writing poetry, because that would detract from it's individuality. I learnt this the hard way. But I do think that what all poems have in common is the ability to show a slice of emotion, of someone's heart or soul, or shine a light on a glimpse of perfection, or imperfection. Poetry is the ability to say in so few words, what a novel might take to say in thousands. It is the capturing of an ounce of essence of the human soul.
But it's more than this. The word "poetry" turns a lot of people off because they automatically think of Wordsworth or Shakespeare. If someone says they aren't a fan of poetry, it's only because they haven't found the type they like. Poetry can be strong, soft, funny, provocative, disgusting, real, human, gentle, loving and hateful. It can be everything and yet in the mind of the reader, it can mean something totally different to so many.
The next time you are in a book shop, check out the poetry section and have a wee snoop. Or go online and check out some poets; just have a wee read and experiment.
Very, very tired this morning. My mood was little improved when I got to work due to the coolness in the office caused by it's failing air-conditioner. It's supposed to cool us in the sum and warm us in the winter - instead it does the opposite and because of all the cutbacks, the department in charge couldn't give a damn about it. So I spent most of the day in cold, flu-ripe conditions. I wonder if these arseholes will ever get their act together.
Speaking of arseholes, I had an encounter with more than my fair share today and I left work in an even worse mood as a result. The place is just not conducive to being a pleasant place to work any more. There are too many ego's and failed careers to make it enjoyable any more. Too many people with Teflon coated backs to make the place even worthy of attempting to change.
The difference is, I can change. I have done in the past and I can do it again. The wheels of motion are turning.
Colin 4:04 pm