"We are capable of transforming our mental universe and giving it a charm which makes life more valuable. More valuable since life becomes more joyful, thanks to the extraordinary effort needed to create this charm.
Life is wasted when we make it more terrifying, precisely because it is so easy to do so. It is an easy task, because people who are intellectually lazy are convinced that this miserable terror is “the truth”, that this terror is knowledge of the “extra-mental” world. This is an easy way out, resulting in a banal explanation of the world as terrifying.
Creating enchantment is an effective means of counteracting this depressing, banal habit."
Nutshell:
Beat Old Heart: There's a sense of camraderie in the word "old" mentioned 5 days in this poem; a sense of an older man giving himself a pep talk to keep on going. Perhaps in the style of a Tennyson (Ring out wild bells!) with the insistent repetitions,
we noted the inclusiveness of a world full of things, all beating. The bars might be of music, or the cage of the body, or sandbars of the sea. Curious that stragglers looks much like strugglers which made some think the bars might be akin to a poem and the obstacles it faces. The final word "scars" has a sense of wearing a badge of honor. A fine poem to remind us all to continue on with resilience.
Pima Canyon: We are fortunate to have people who know the Arizona canyons, where you can "walk, talk and gawk". The beauty is indeed almost savage and the poem only has one mention of it, as
the mountain glow every evening. "The world seeps in no matter what." One idea for the title is that it offers a parallel between the harsh aspect of the desert as metaphor for navigating Parkingson's. Elizabeth wonders if she looks "scrawny". Perhaps like the saguaros, "spiny and upright, pocked with nest holes".
"Ask the Canyon"... confirms the wondering about the disease -- is it the microplastics... the fact that you can't "go back" with the uncanny detail of "having a smaller shadow"... the "dirty contrails". The tenderness of the ending. The maybe's, but not yet darling, not yet.
The Chance: It's not ever fair to judge a poet's merit by one poem alone. I am not sure when this poem by the current National Poet Laureate, Arthur Sze was penned. Who is the intended audience? What might be the poem's function, its significance? Scanning the 22 lines for any clues given by form, rhythm, rhyme, imagery we all tried to find a way to navigate what seemed to be a confusing medley of messages. Why The chance in the title, and a chance on the final line? It seems to be a meditation delivered in stream of consciousness about passion.
comments: The ending is powerful and has a sense of redemption: even if the darkness precedes and follows/ us, we have a chance, briefly, to shine.
Yes, but is this ending "earned", hence credible and can the reader trust it?
There is a dark/light contrast, but what is the role of the example of the magician caught in his own chains? The author may want passion that grows and grows (as opposed to ironwood that hardens and hardens), but there is no personal evidence of either. Perhaps the "approach 30" refers to speed limit, perhaps to age, but either way, distances to where?
Asphalt Bobbing: The title is catchy, as it is an unusual simile. The opening line is provocative
with a suspenseful line break. But... it feels more an exercise using the Golden Shovel technique referring to the Declaration of Independence than a poem. Do we want another re-hash of the news? It may indeed reiterate things we are facing in our country right now with the second round with Trump, but comments were more about books or articles people were reminded about.
-- The Who: "Meet the new boss... same as the old boss" (for King George/George Washington) https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/who/wontgetfooledagain.html
Brian Doyle: The Plover : https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/9393/the-plover
parallels the idea of bringing a new world about... islands are just tips of mountains, and it is the sea in charge.
Daddy Fell into the Pond! We didn't really discuss this one, but it was a fun relief!
Another Second, Another 24 Million Pounds: A cento:
Apparently some circles use the Italian pronunciation CHEN-to of this old form of borrowing lines from notable thinkers, and some use American pronunciation of SENT-o. Be that as it may, without knowing the form, or that all the lines were from an Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology, Ghost-Fishing, edited by Melissa Tuckey with a forward by Camile T. Dungy, or without matching each line with a relatively well-known poet whose poem is in this anthology, does this work as a poem?
One person puts it this way -- "form provides the bricks and windows but it's nice to have a picture of the whole building first." What message is given? Is it another crazy quilt? Do we have to know where each patch came from? Here were some of the comments:
Like reading piles of books: Is it worth all the agony?
It's fine to experiment with form -- why not a 3-D poem -- but no poem should sound like a research paper...
incoherent b/c it doesn't use a single voice of an individual and relies on gimmick.
If she is using other's work, did she think about keeping the spirit of each author's poem in the eco-anthology?
This led into a rousing discussion about poetry, alphabets, the future of literature and the role AI will play to determine it.
This left no time for the final poem, Bassoonist (for C.) except to read it, and enjoy the sounds and rhythms. I am hoping Graeme, who proposed it, will share what makes it worth one's while.
At Rundel, we only had a short time, and noted the sense of a backstory, but without any information.
Who is C? Why was it written? What does modern music have to do with this?
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