Why I Write

The title (which explains the poem) is from a George Orwell essay. Otherwise, he has nothing to do with this.

I want to be the great poet,

and let you see at least part of me.

 

Eyes will either laminate like stoics,

sealed, emotionlessly clear,

and still, a stale rain-fell puddle.

 

Or minds will walk streamlined

and warm in the wake of my gusty ideas.

 

----

 

Stalking my weakness

is a spear-tipped predator,

and most that you see

leads to its dark and charming door.

 

I (and maybe you) stumble through,

oblivious.

 

----

 

I missed my flight

on the aeroplane

scheduled to drop my ashes

over the sea,

so they scatter over paper as I die.

Author's Note

Do you like the breaks? And let me know whether you caught the music reference in the last stanza :-) Thank you!

p.s. the music reference is Neutral Milk Hotel ;-)

Reviews

[MorganLyn]

Great write! I like how you spelled "aeroplane" to make it flow better. (is that the music reference?) lol I'm not too good with stuff like that...

I want to be the great poet,
and let you see at least part of me.

Great lines! These explain the very reason so many of us choose to write!
Through poetry we can let another side of us be out in the open because in real life we are afraid to let it shine...
I look forward to reviewing more of your work!
-D

[DarkIriswriter]

Alot of poetry has at least a refernce to poetry in it. all great poets are finding inspiration as their muse for writing and you seem to get it through it. Great job!

sara

[An owl on the moon]

A powerful, compelling work that shows what moves so many of us to write, often against the tide. Very well done and inspiring! (Is the reference to the band's second release "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea?)

[KayOss]

I had a good time reading this one. I love to hear different writers' reasons for writing. You've presented your reasons in a way that is both highly relevant and entertaining.

I want to be the great poet,
and let you see at least part of me.

I think this sums up at least one reason many of us choose to write. I've always believed that in my instance, at least, one way to get to know a writer better is to read his or her work. If you look closely enough, you'll learn more about the person.

I liked the breaks. They actually served a purpose and weren't distracting. Without the breaks, the poem would have jammed together and it would have been harder to make sense of it. With the breaks, the reader knows to pause for a second, which helps with understanding. Also, the breaks help to distinguish one thought from the next so that the message isn't lost.

I didn't catch the music reference, unfortunately. I've never heard Neutral Milk Hotel, but I have heard the name. I'm thinking I should check them out. I love many different types of music and enjoy hearing new things.

[Bhavya Kaushik]

Actually I got the music reference in the last part, but only after reading your note...
And I found it a great write..
Beautifully written!
But frankly, I didn't liked the breaks too much :(

[Adam Jordan Turner]

All i have to say is...you've just given me a goal. One day I'll be able to write this way, but for now, you're awesome! Great write, I didn't catch the music reference and I'm about to study this break business. Love it!

[Jamie]

Not sure about the middle stanza, but I really love the last one. I don't know the song, but I think it is a pretty profound verse. Keep up the good work!

[La Corza]

Very interesting, although I found it rather abstract at first. The breaks helped though, and moved the poem along. It was pretty good.

[Emily B]

Well said. I think I might be too old to catch the musical reference. You'd be amazed how fast too old comes. I liked the last stanza best. It reminded me of Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death / He kindly stopped for me."

Great write!

[Raef C. Boylan]

Good to know you've read that Orwell essay, although it weirdly made me smile that the reference to him isn't a clue, more a distraction. Anyway...

...this is an amazing piece.

I admired your subtle rhyming throughout ["poet"..."stoic", "weakness...oblivious...ashes" etc.], which seemed to effectively aid the flow without the reader even being aware of it. Pretty cool.

The breaks worked fine for me, added an extra layer to the piece for me, because the display of this poem is quite interesting and visual, e.g. your use of - - - lines to indicate pauses/solidify segments. I've done that a few times as well...sometimes blank space just isn't enough to establish an interval or whatever it is we need to convey.

Although I think this is the first piece by you that I've read [?...or did I review something the other day...?], I really like your poetic voice; the narrator is given an appealing character through your use of selective language, such as "charming", which makes this stand out from lots of other poems re: writing.

That final analogy is really great; it leaves the reader on a reflective note, because in order to understand it we have to recall that living is dying, and what writing means to us personally in terms of a legacy.

Is the "spear-tipped predator" death, or have I misunderstood that part?

Overall, a really great piece.
I look forward to reading more by you.

I must say I didn't get the music reference sorry, and I haven't read a George Orwell essay, but nonetheless I still admire how you structure your poetry! and I think you use perfectly fitting words and the end bit really got me:
I missed my flight
On the aeroplane
scheduled to drop my ashes
over the sea,
so they scatter over paper as I die.

It's so beautiful and touching- I really admire your work :) xx