Saturday Stream of Consciousness >>>Please join us on the link below for directions!
The Prompt for today is a word that has the prefix -in-.
Discussions of poetry sometimes center on whether the door of the poem is
locked, unlocked, or can be pushed open after some effort?
The preferred door is the one that takes a person of some strength to gain entrance.
I fell over a tree stump and hurt my back
can be unlocked by a small baby, weak and mewling.
Hospital need maybe
Oh, my no help the heavens open
requires a sumo wrestler to break down the door.
Billy Collins is referred to as an accessible poet.
Anyone can come in,have a cup of tea,
a conversation, and leave with no questions in mind.
Allen Ginsburg will bar the door with a heavy armoire and place
on top three sixty pound barbells. Streams of consciousness flow
down his paper, rivulets, drops, and oceans undammed. At times, inaccessible.
Ah, but the poem that lets you in the door after a push, takes you to a place somewhere in your life you’ve been before and then leaves you to ponder long after you’ve read ….. that’s the poem all poets strive to accomplish.
This, my friends, was not that poem.
On Writing,Reading and Other La-de-da 
Thank You for reading! I’d love to read your poetry.
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Wow – I’ve never read anything that explained poetry quite so concisely before. Thank you, Leigh, for saying what I knew instinctively – I’m positive it will help me with my own poetry. 😀
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I haven’t read or learned very much about poetry. This makes sense. Thanks.
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Thanks for the read! Poetry is very interesting and before I got serious about writing poetry, I didn’t much at all about it. Hope you find it something you’d like to learn more about sometime!
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I recently joined a poetry critique group and your post reminded me of a discussion of mystery in poetry that we had. I try to make my poems accessible but leave enough opening or mystery for each reader to bring their own experience to the poem. In your terms, I’m trying to write poems that need the reader to give the door a push. Thanks for a thoughtful post.
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I love poetry groups. It’s so much easier to write when you spend some time with a community of writers. It motivates; you get good feedback; and you can leave that lone position where have to be when writing. the goal you are shooting for with the accessible/inaccessible balance is the best! thanks for reading my post. I look forward to reading your poetry.
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I am learning so much from the group, especially about revision. It is really strengthening my ability to hone a poem when I am on my own so that it is that much stronger when I do share it – so then I can take comments and revise some more. The group is also encouraging in responding to each other work. I find that being in “that lone position” can sometimes lead me to doubt my own work, so having the validation of the writing community keeps me from tossing something due to loss of perspective or just plain getting sick of looking at it.
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Joanne, I’m glad the group is helping you gain more confidence. I’m trying to start a group . I just retired from teaching and want to earn some extra money instructing and facilitating a writing group. Wish me luck! I wish you lived near me so we could get together and critique each other’s poems.
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It is harder to barge through an a open door. Because it then leads to a face on the floor….. Lol
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lol! thanks for reading my post!
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You are correct in that some poetry is hard to understand for the person who does not think in the way of a poet. There can be allusions and symbolism that is not understood. I think I am the one that needs the door not too heavily barricaded.
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