What a bunch of malarkey. Jeeze. Like it would make shit difference if Billy Collins ran the fucking UN or Charles Bernstein was fucking poet laureate or whatnot or if Susan Howe went to fucking Gainsesville Florida and read a fucking poem to the cracker racist asshole burning Korans it would make a fucking difference.
Where in the fuck to people get the idea or even concept to even conceive and then write about the fact that poetry can do something in the world besides just be poetry? What is this bullshit.
Here is the new movement. Stop fucking around. Read poetry. Write poetry. Fuck poetry if you want. Just don't think that because YOU do poetry that it is somehow capable of changing anything. Get a grip!
In case you havent noticed bumper stickers have and always will encourage more response than our little slim volume of poetry will or could ever. Just realize that one thing. You....should.....know....this....by....now.
The only way to celebrate poetry is to write it. Period. And even if every humanoid on the planet wrote poetry it would not, repeat not, make the planet a better place. Trust me.
jim, this reminds me a bit of a docu about a punk rock tour sponsored by an organization called, at the time, BETTER YOUTH ORGANIZATION. the BYO were lead by the singer of a straight edge band, YOUTH BRIGADE, and by 'straight edge' i mean that movement advocated no smoking, no drugs, no sex, no, no, no. they also wanted to change the world. well, on this tour was the band SOCIAL DISTORTION who were, are, the exact opposites of the straight edge youth. were there sparks between say the great hardcore band, and straight edgers, MINOR THREAT, and SOCIAL DISTORTION? does a bear shit in the woods? but was i like about SOCIAL DISTORTION is that they are just hard rock&rollers who demonstrated that rock&roll, no matter the persuasion, cannot change the world. it might change your life, it certainly can enrich your life, hell it can even edify your life, but it can't change the world. and alls we can do is rock on.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Jim! Poetry can change a person, maybe-- or at least their temporary outlook or their blood pressure, but it cannot change the world, nor was it meant to.
ReplyDeleteProbably true in a literal sense, rock&roll and poetry won't change the world, but they create an undercurrent that keeps the surface from being too comfortable for fans of glassy calm.
ReplyDelete"You should know this by now"
ReplyDeletewould make a good bumper sticker.