Poetry

is easy

if you can rhyme

Poetry

is easy

try it sometime

My wife has gone out

with a girlfriend for the day,

so I sit and read

some of my favourite poems 

out loud. Really loud!

Reading a poem out loud

brings out the musicality

of the piece.

I let my lungs rip into Larkin,

then follow with a foray

into Masefield's Mother Carey.

I stop for tea and a toasted tea-cake

before resuming with

Bukowski's Bluebird.

Then I venture into

Voltaire's vivid and varied verse.

I finish with a little levity,

letting out my inner lampoon,

laughing like a lunatic

at Lear's Limericks!

Then my wife arrives home

and asks, "What have you

been doing with yourself?"

"Oh, just reading quietly

in the corner," 

I reply.

Copyright © Robert Haigh 2017

Pens release pain

The poet said, "I'll write no more!

Erato has walked out the door!

Love has left, and nothing does remain!

"She was my Muse, my love, my life!

Without her, all has turned to strife!

Now all I hear is lost love's sad refrain!"

I tried to give the poet cheer,

But he would hardly let me near.

With tears and sighs, he looked a sorry sight!

I said I'd take him for a drink

(Or two), and give him pause to think

About his life, this fateful, mournful night.

At length, he said he'd tag along,

And so we joined the merry throng

Inside the local tavern, down the lane.

He said, "I'm drinking to forget!"

I nodded solemnly, and yet,

I knew with time his smile he would regain.

A sing-along was in full swing,

And soon we too began to sing;

And sure enough the poet's smile returned.

We drank and sang into the night,

As mournful moods were put to flight,

And all the table candles had been burned.

I helped him home, past closing time,

And on the way he wrote a rhyme.

I told him (truthfully) I was impressed.

He laughed and said, "Thank you, my friend!"

And I was sure that in the end

The poet's pen would not have time to rest!

Copyright © Robert Haigh 2017

I speak up but I'm not heard

so what's the point it's so absurd

Why try to get the message out

if no one cares what it's about

We need to do whatever we can

to protect the environment we need a plan

Our world is such a toxic place

Damage that's done we can't erase

We can make a difference now

and I'm gonna tell you how

Every babystep you take

makes a difference no mistake

Speak up for those without a voice

really make a conscious choice

to sign petitions, boycott stuff

let them know enough's enough

Endangered species go extinct

it happens fast within a blink

They need protection all the time

You can speak up right online

Oil spills happen all the time

yet they build more pipelines

that damage our water supply

We need to stop them we need to try

GMOs cause nothing but harm

we need to stop them sound the alarm

their pesticides poison us all

we need immediate withdrawal

Ban GMOs and pesticdes

so life on this planet may thrive

Ban chemtrails that pollute our air

No more pandemics ban biowarfare

No more fracking or oil pipelines

We need water to survive

No more deforestation

Focus on restoration

So many things need to be fixed

Come on now, we can do this!

Poetry is certainly a tough subject to grasp; particularly for those who might not be entirely comfortable with the written word. However, some of the most amazing lines of text ever written have been created in such a manner and this very same sense of passion continues into these modern times. While we have all heard of names such as Keats, Frost and Whitman, why are these authors considered be some of the greatest? In the same respect, what are some of the differences between a few well-written stanzas and a poem that will resonate with the reader for months or even years to come? Although this is an entirely subjective question, it is still wise to take a look at a handful of variables that may come to mind. 

The Ability to Identify Directly with the Reader

This is actually one of the very same traits which has served to define brilliant literature in the past. Take a few moments to think about your favourite poem. How does it make you feel? The chances are high that it has the innate capability to take you on an emotionally visceral journey; to make you believe as if you are living life through the eyes of the writer. Great poetry transcends time, space and location. Its impact will be just as powerful five years from now as it is today. 

Many readers judge "greatness" off of how much they can identify with what is being described. Thus, some will gravitate more towards subjects such as loss while others prefer a poem describing a sense of immaculate. In other words, beauty is once again in the eye of the beholder. 

Great Poems Create a Verbal "Texture"

While this may seem like a strange comparison, how do all of the top global brands market a product to the end user? They present an image, a vision and an outcome. While this is one of the core tenets of any marketing campaign, it also shares certain similarities with great poetry.

A great poem should use words to create a mentally tangible "texture" that seems as if it leaps off of the page. This texture (whether beautiful or decidedly ugly) can thereafter be used to stoke feelings and to create an emotional response. Thus, a great poet possesses the seemingly god-like ability to amalgamate a series of words in such a way as to create an emotion or sensation that is nearly palpable to the reader. Of course, such talents are normally not born overnight.

Please keep in mind that there are a milieu of other ways to define what might make a poem "great" in terms of the reader's perspective. These are simply a handful of the most common observations. Whether you are hoping to enjoy fame as a poet or you enjoy being transported to an entirely different dimension, there is no doubt that well-written poetry will provide you with a means to ultimately transcend what can often times be considered a rather dull existence.

I never feel good enough

I have no self esteem

I tend to sabotage my stuff

Do you know what I mean

I have nothing important to say

What do I know anyway

No one cares what I think

I could be the missing link

The more I learn the less I know

and yet I get on with the show

I know I don't know everything

No one does no matter what they think

Those who know that they don't know

have lots and lots of room to grow

Those who think they know it all

are pushed up against a wall

Keep an open mind

maybe you will find

that you can unwind

that's how it's designed

When abstract thoughts become too clear

You may have lost your mind my dear

That's OK that's what we want

to clear our mind for abstract thoughts