Quid Pro Poetry
A friend recently asked me why I was posting my poetry on the sidebar, where people would not be aware of a new poem v. posting in a blog. So I posted one in a blog. I have thought about this question. I guess the reason is because I no longer consider myself a poet. I write when I feel the urge to write. I no longer desire people to read it or not read it. I like making them available, but that is all. I think part of it is also not wanting to answer questions. This does not mean that I am adverse to answering, but the poems always provide an insight into me and that is an insight that I do not necessarily want to clarify.
I had said in an earlier post about poetry that writing poetry gives you a way to be completely open and honest while simultaneously hiding behind your own words. I am extremely open in my poetry. I don’t particularly feel that I hid very well either. I have generally found that if the poem is about you, you will read it and know. Sometimes people have been wrong, but that never seems to make them completely wrong. If they know me and the poem strikes them a personal, then maybe some part of me was writing to them and I just didn’t know it. Then again, maybe I wrote it before I even knew that person, but some feelings cross over issues such as time and circumstance.
The problem I have with answering questions about my poetry is that I often feel as though I am being asked to open up and be vulnerable without that person offering the same thing. Sometimes I wonder, why should I confide in you any more than I have if you aren’t going to make yourself as vulnerable. It is poetic Quid-pro-quo.
Like any confident writer, I enjoy hearing other peoples perceptions of my poetry. What did you get out of it? What do you think it means? Telling me that it is good or nice is relatively meaningless. I would actually prefer to hear that you didn’t like it and why than, it is nice. Regardless, discuss amongst yourselves but if you want to ask me, well, Quid Pro Quo Clarice.
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