From: n2412@cray.com (Joe Green)
Subject: Re: the business of poetry
Keywords: condolences
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 13 Apr 92 13:56:38 CDT

In article <3538@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us> jjwebb@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us writes:
>
>Overheard (from within the crowd)
>
>	"What exactly does 'arrested development' mean?"
>
>		"Well, think of it as a Cray caught in a program loop
>                 ... or a wheelbarrow going in circles."
>
>	"That must be boring."
>
>		"That's what they say. At any rate, that's what they
>		 seem to complain about the most."
>
>	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah?  Prove to me that this is anything other than what it
insists something else is.  



>
>Some men overcome their boredom
>	by abusing those around them.
>Others tilt at windmills.
>	Still others, will do both.
>
>	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are you so used to submission that this is your view of anything that
might disturb you?



>
>Intellectual property IS a commodity. Writing copy for the cyclops,
>software for an information engine, press releases for the pimples that
>can sing ... speech writing. Nobility? Not likely! 


Make the effort to separate what you do and are able to do from
what can be done.  Also make an effort to see that there
might be something outside your world view.  Of course what
you indulge in is a commodity.  That is my point.  You may
not be able to see the possibility of something else -- much
less enact that possibility.


>
>Poetry? Not here either .. but at least it's a labor of love 
>(or nagging agony, the itch that never quite subsides). 


No -- this kind of poetry a labor for a machine -- the itch
you feel may have another origin -- you may want to get outside --
but this kind of thinking (((hey, everything is a commodity
anyway) is what keeps you in that machine.



>And so .. one tries to stake a claim (My itch (m) At this time), 
>a claim the WHOLE DAMN WORLD says is allowed.

Oh, sweet Christ, you are allowed to do this because it
doesn't matter.  You think that the "control freak" is
someone who suggests that poetry might be a gift instead
of a commodity?  Think about it.  Perhaps the real control
is whatever it is that makes you think of poetry in the same
terms as writing a song for a pimple or the scratching of an
itch.



>
>Except the elitist control freak

Elitest?  You write Agnew's speeches?  You apply elitest to what you
don't understand.  The real elite is the elite of the lazy jerks
who want to play and don't want the hard work.  


>		He thinks it's sad ...
>So let's all have some sympathy for poetry .. on the count of three
>1 .. 2 .. 3 AAHHHHHH! too bad ... 

Actually, it is sympathy for you -- constrained to speak this way.





>Yes, it's terrible to see where poetry has sunk to .. why it's as if
>we didn't have a voice at all! And if we did, who would DARE lay
>claim to it? Go on! Stake a claim! 



>	He's bored and wants to HURT somebody!
>	Make 'em wish they didn't HAVE a name!
>	He wants his poets to be afraid .. and tame.
>
>	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are hurt rather easily.  I don't have any poets.  However, it
is immensely depressing to read the stuff you claim is poetry.
Songs for pimples.




>Watching from Within the Flames 
> 
>He built a house of matchsticks, 
>Red tips pointed down, 
>That ignited at the first cross look 
>It had to deal with ... 
> 
>            A neighbor, 
> 
>Who'd come to strenuously dissent. 
>Protesting, 
>"After all, this IS a fire hazard! 
>Far too close to MY home!"
> 
>        ... Up it went ...
>
>
> "In the Electric Shadows"
>	copyright (c) 1992 by JJWebb
>


Then there is the fact (which I have been kind enough not to
mention) that there is no need to coptright your stuff
since no-one would want to copy it.  Dull.  Dumb.

Hope this helps.

 

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Newsgroups: rec.arts.poems