A poet’s reflections?

Using some imagination, if I visualized a “crystal ball for poetry”, would I be likely to see a poem or would I be able to hear one?

I used my imagination for a long time before I ever heard of “multi-media” and technology.

I am intrigued by the idea of virtual reality.

Taking another approach, could I meditate or “dream” up something?

Out of thin air, the verse may appear
I already know I will like it
I wanted to see what might work for me
Whether it’s clear or it’s foggy

If my thoughts were not crisp,
Should my effort persist?
If I do seem to fail,While telling a tale,
If I can re-group, I can get there

Should I tamper with
Superstition or myth?
Is there much to explore
On a fantasy’s shore,
Where no one has been there but me?

While it’s fun to suppose
About all that may be
If I want to create and not imitate,
I should know that I have to be me

A walk on the beach
While feeling the breeze,
Taking pictures before it’s too late
There’s no going back to that time and that place
But there is always tomorrow.

So try as you might,
When there’s no end in sight
If you can’t find a way,
Should you make one?

If you think about space,
It’s a very big place.
If you think of the sea…
It too can be cold and dark.

They’re just boundaries to cross,
So you don’t want to get lost,
If you know where you’re going…
And you see they’re just means to an end.

The sound of the sea may be soothing to me,
Not unlike the wind in the pines.
And on a clear day, when you look far away,
Just imagine what might be out there!

Copyright 2007 James Burns All Rights Reserved

Is everyone a poet?

Even that question carries a lot of possible themes. I immediately inserted a parenthetical Am I? The real issue is that I have always wanted to try writing poems. My past efforts have been lost. I do not intend to even try to remember or recreate those poems. I do remember that what I enjoyed was trying to be spontaneous and trying not to be overly critical of my own work. Perhaps that is indicative of a good attitude toward the creative process.

I have always appreciated poems with lyrical, musical qualities. That may be a key to my approach. I try to write something that sounds good to me. I do not become too concerned about rules, formats and the like. If I do find out more about the finer points later, I can always revise my efforts or replace them altogether.

I have noticed that when you read a poem more than once, you may find that you can have a very different reaction to it with each reading. I think that your reaction can easily vary with your mood/emotional state, state of mind, physical state, recent events and any of a number of other factors. Even identifying the factors that may be involved is controversial. I suppose there should also be a spiritual state in there somewhere. Since these things are not concrete or tangible, they must be abstractions.

I think that poetry is so personal, so subjective, that it does not have to have one and only one interpretation that is also clear and obvious. This is an area where vagueness may be appreciated. Some great works have been debated for years and remain unresolved. Some poets have declined to offer their own interpretations or explanations of their works. This is probably not that uncommon for anything that may qualify as art of one sort or another.