I who have read quite a bit of poetry, much of it of the subtle and exalted kind — have even set it to music — am often dismayed when people today “write poetry”. Writing poetry is one of those things that everybody can do. So they think.
And of course, if there is nothing more to it than putting words after each other on paper, or computer screen, and keeping to the irregular right margin, then everybody can.
But if poetry is something else and something more, they can´t.
Just recently an old friend of mine sent me a video with some “poetry”. And I thought: I would like to read your thoughts if they were just presented as prose, even as prose poems (more doubtful…), but when you call it poetry I must either forget what I know about good poetry or turn my back on your video.
Just don´t call it poetry, and I might read it.
Right now I am holding Steve Taylors “The calm center” in my hand. Much influenced by Eckhart Tolle, the material in this book is very interesting, sometimes stunning. Again I have to say I haven´t read it all. Because, again, this is not poetry. But it could be great prose, or let´s just say great text, words, thoughts.
Isn´t that enough? For some people, no. They want to be Poets, without knowing good poetry. What a pity.
I confess that I also sometimes write a short text with IRM (irregular right margin) or OHM (oregelbunden högermarginal). It can look like poetry, and I hope somewhat that it is poetry, but I wouldn´t call it poetry.
