Do not be cross with poetry

[Leanne]

I think it's fair to say that I've run across quite a few contemporary poets in my time... I have dwelt among them, virtually speaking, since the early 2000s and enjoyed many poems. Even out of the thousands I've read, there are only a handful of poets whose work I will always return to and be delighted by (and not ever poem of theirs, because that's just dumb and doesn't happen, nobody bats 1000 in poetry). Some are here: Todd, Mercedes, CJ Chaffin (where is he these days? Slacker!). Some are scattered to the far corners of the globe: Alia Hussain Vancrown, Gary Brown, Gabriel Ricard, Norman Milliken. Google them and you may or may not be disappointed, who knows? There are others whose poetry I like often, but whose work doesn't quite resonate with me in the same way (sometimes because it's just too similar to what I'd write myself, because I prefer to seek out difference). There are plenty of people whose poetry I like, but who I wouldn't have a beer with at the pub (the universal indicator for human decency), because the poem is not the person.

Now, where was I going with that? Oh yes. Meaning. Because I read a lot of poems by a particular poet (or set of poets), I can see patterns in what they write. The poem that maybe seemed quite obscure in isolation becomes a piece in a tapestry. I choose these poets because the tapestry is rich and vibrant, and although the design might not be one of photorealistic quality, it is exciting and ever-changing. Yes, a poem should stand alone as a work of art, but it is much more relevant and fascinating when placed alongside other objects of significance -- whether it's from the poet's collection, or from the gallery of your own experience.