We Call It Poetry

An old one on the observation of poets.

With poetry--

A lonely woman 
can write about her lover 
on valentine's day. 
She can describe his most endearing traits 
line upon line upon line--
                               as if...he existed.

A young girl 
can share her deepest erotic thoughts, 
demonstrating an ability 
to take the reader's hand
and guide them with her words,
leaving them satiated--
but only 
if she's skilled enough.

For those depressed 
and those searching 
to release their pain--
It's a bloodletting.

They've been raped,
they've been bullied,
ignored and even wounded. 
The dark side held them too long.

They need you to listen 
or simply just notice they're alive. 
They may wonder if writing 
is all a fruitless endeavor
when their written cries for help
go unnoticed.

But behind poetry's walls...

A man can offer us a character, 
from a fictitious town
that resembles trees, sidewalks, 
roads and even paths 
of his own treasured youth. 

An adolescent can share a broken heart 
with a seemingly invisible world. 
He/she can release all the angst, 
tear by tear, 
until the poem has ended--
         for now. 

Poetry is a haven 
for ideas, rants, memories or thoughts 
that otherwise would go unheard by most.
The family simply wouldn't understand.  

It is a platform 
for those skilled or unskilled; 
for those confident 
and those apprehensive; 
for those that standout 
and those whose computer 
is their only escape. 

Some here,
have painstakingly learned 
poetry has its elements: 
meter, rhyme, metaphor, and more.
As for others, 
form, cadence, line breaks... 
are all unimportant.

The prolific and the obscene;
those with morals 
and those without;
religious; atheists...
they're all involved.

People have left poetry 
for greener pastures, 
only to re-emerge 
days, weeks, or even years later
when the writer needed another ear 
to listen to all he/she wanted to say.

It is a source of frustration, 
joy and confusion, 
all mentioned into one place.

It is your yesteryear, your today, 
and all your tomorrows. 

It's a percentage of your life, 
your time and your thoughts. 
It consists of creation
and destruction.

It's a statement; it's a confession.
It's a voice that understands;
It's a disciplinarian that doesn't.
It's a welcome sign.
It's a keep out sign.
It's a microcosm of continents 
and far off cultures.
It's a ghost from the past.
It's a community.
It's a small town.
It's a lyrical lagoon.

It's you...it's me...it's us
sailing within
our own private harbor.

And we call it

POETRY.

Author's Note

.

Reviews

[Woody]

brilliant depiction of WC and its "patrons". as I was reading along, I caught myself nodding in ascent cos you really hit it on the head, Relic.
I find WC a wonderful place to spend time and learn and, maybe, bring something with you for all to see.
good one, Relic.

[Relic]

Thanks so much for the review Woody

[shallimarRose]

I came back to read again now that I am feeling more comfortable here....
It's a statement; it's a confession.
' What a wonderful place this is and a fitting tribute to all the writers here who write for so many different reasons.. In fact pretty much all of your first four of five stanza describe me.. The depression, the rape, the hiding.. Its all here.. Writing gives me a voice where here somtmes there is none..

It's a voice that understands.
It's a disciplinarian that doesn't.
It's a welcome sign at the door of a friend.
It's a keep out sign at the door of a
former friend.
It's a microcosm of continents and cultures.
It's a ghost from the past.
It's a newbie.
It's a community.
It's a small town.

it's you...it's me...it's us.'

Thank you for this.. xoxo

[Relic]

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear of your unfortunate connections to this poem. Thanks for the added review. Writing is always there as catharsis for anyone who can't talk about things to those close.

[Dean]

that takes us all in, handily. It also sums up my own writing. I hope you will look at more of it.
-Dean

[Relic]

I'm sure I will Dean. Thank you.

[Emily B]

amen. i really love this

[Relic]

Thanks very much Emily.

[Emerald Seas]

Bravo! Hit the nail on the head with this well-crafted observation.
Stanza that seems to hit home for me:
"It involves a declaration that you're done
with writing because the muse has
left you, only to discover 3 hours later...you
have an idea."
Yep, that was me for a long time. Now, my muse seems to have traveled away for a very long hiatus :)
Poetry doesn't seem to bubble up like it did in the past... Oh we'll, maybe it will again one day.
Enjoyed the poem very much!

[Relic]

Hey, good to see you again. I'm sure with a little oil in you finger and elbow joints you'll be able to write again. ha Thanks so much for the review.

[InsanityWriter]

Excellent, and quite true. :) Well done!!

[Relic]

Thank you.

[Relic]

For me WC is such an outlet, when I enter my second world here... after a busy day, or just to vent, relax or being creative, I always do love your thought provoking pieces about Writers Cafe, and all your observations, I maybe not say much, but adore it what you do! thank you my friend. Great thoughts on this one!!!!

- Elisa

[Relic]

Thanks so much Elisa, that means a lot to me.

To me too, we have you on our Cafe my friend! always xo

[Relic]

~~~~~~~ :D ~~~~~~~

[London's Lily]

As someone still in her first week at WC, I've barely made a dent in my ventures around the site, and my little corner still has that fresh "new corner" smell. And so far, I really love it here. I've been welcomed warmly, and have interacted with such kind, friendly people, I've been most pleasantly surprised! After reading "Behind the Walls," I'm now even more convinced that I made the right choice when searching for an online writing home. I think I'll go ahead and settle in. :)

[Relic]

If I could bake a cake as a housewarming gift I'd send it over Lily. haha This is the best writing site on the web. It's easy to use and there are plenty of good writers here, I wrote a bunch down in another post. haha Welcome.

[London's Lily]

:) haha
Thank you!

[TL Boehm]

AMEN. I don't have a muse. I have a banshee. I think I hacked my muse off years ago and she took her sparkly Tinkerbell hindparts off somewhere with verdant meadows and clear water. FINE. I'll write without her.
It's us. I like that. I whine at times but I love this place. I learn so much here. If I look at things I wrote in 1982 or 2006 and then I look at things I wrote in say, April 2013 - I see the difference. (I like the newer stuff better - the old stuff is, well?)

[Relic]

Your reviews sound like poetry in themselves. :) Thanks TL.

[MOON]

True a great place to be a microcosm of the world. Been here year and five months and your words says it all.

[Relic]

Thanks Moon.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I'll be here 5 years this September, and I'm as comfortable as a bug in a rug...I love it!

"It's you...it's me...it's us! "....it's home!

; )

[Relic]

Glad to hear that Kelly. Thank you.