"When dawn spreads its paintbrush on the plain, spilling purple... ," Sons of the Pioneers theme for TV show "Wagon Train." Dawn on the mythic Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico, looking toward Raton from Cimarron. -- Clarkphoto. A curmudgeon artist's musings melding metaphors and journalism, for readers in more than 150 countries.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Poetry--the hard edge

"Poetry--the hard edge of truth cutting against the fog of life, bringing light and color to the world."

I actually wrote that, after reading the latest poem at http://oldmossymoon.blogspot.com
by my blogfriend Kay Lawson Gilbert of Pennsylvania. Her poetry disturbs me--in a good way, and you shouldn't be missing it.

Bradbury wrote in "Zen in the Art of Writing" http://www.raybradbury.com/that we ought to read poetry every day because it exercises muscles we don't often use. I don't read poetry every day, but I've found Old Mossy Moon to always exercise my mind and senses with images and sharp-edged economy of words in the fog of an over-wordy world.

2 comments:

  1. Some time ago I added a daily poem to my nighttime reading habit in addition to the chapter a day I read of the Bible. I don't fully understand many of the poems that I read with my rational mind but they affect positively anyway. Right now I'm working my way through "The Best Poems of 2009" anthology so I get quite a variety.

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  2. Terry, I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived here this evening. I appreciate your endorsement more than I can say.

    I recall Whitman's words in paraphrase; he said to be a good poet one must have good readers. Well, you are the best!

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