Saturday, March 23, 2024

New poem: "The Mathematics of Poetry"

 

 

The Mathematics of Poetry

 

A poet does not have to be dead to belong

to the dead poet’s society; in fact, many

living poets are members, like the dystopian

author of many genres, poetry being her

favorite. That’s why she was elected most

honored member and three times president.

“The desire to be loved is the last illusion,”

said she; “and when you give it up, you

will be free.” But what else can we expect

from the most honored member of the dead

poet’s society whose signature line is, “All

we have is hope, but what hope is there?”

Her wild hair is more alive than Medusa’s,

and her poetry can turn your soul to stone;

and every time I read her, a cold wind chills

my bones, and I have to put her poetry away

to keep the devil at bay; and I turn once more

to Wordsworth, Rumi, Jane Hirshfield, and

the divine poetry of the blessed poet’s society

whose signature line is: “Life is love in action,

and the more love you give, the more life you

have.” And that, the gods of literature say,

is the mathematics of poetry.

 

Composed in Georgian Bay, Ontario

Sunday, March 17, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

New poem: "The Dying Poet"

 

The Dying Poet

 

She’s dying, and reading her poetry

on social media is like watching a frog

cooking in a slow-boiling pot of water;

it’s agony. How I so wish for her to step

out of the paradigm of her life-long

patterns of thought that shaped her story;

it would do her poor soul a world of good

to let go of her smothering belief system

and try something dramatically different,

like the promising age-old idea that when

our body dies, we step through a door

into a whole new life that gives us another

opportunity to realize our true self. I’m

sorry to say, really, I am, that as much

as her sad little poems ache to move me,

my heart refuses to weep for her, because

I know that all of this is true, and I would

so love to see an essential shift in her frantic

verse before she takes her leave once more

from this beautiful, misunderstood world;

it would truly be a joyous miracle.

 

Composed in Georgian Bay, Ontario

Wednesday, March 5, 2024