Play.

[tun]

I think play is important. I think being daft is important. I think being uninhibited/unselfconscious is important. I think in play we can become familiar with the state of spontaneity (life without striving), and that state of spontaneity is essential and foundational to creativity and to expression - meaning the unconscious manifestation of reality (truth). When I look at modern poetry today, I don't see play, I don't see people being daft or silly, I don't see people being uninhibited, unintentional or unconcerned (free). Instead I see a tendency to being uniformly serious, and to being sensible (self-conscious), and seriousness now being the generally exclusive (obligate) mode, I feel that something has gone wrong with poetry. I feel that it has lost its way.

What I don’t see is humour, satire, protest or social commentary as a living vein of power in the body of Poetry today. I am not suggesting that seriousness is not valid and valuable, but that seriousness loses its meaning where there is no living counterpoint to measure it against.

[CRNDLSM]

Where are you looking, Leanne was the biggest advocate for play, her stuff is all over this page. Play is important for learning, people play games to stay sharp. Im tired of playing, the world is crushing my soul

[dukealien]

I think play is important. I think being daft is important. I think being uninhibited/unselfconscious is important. I think in play we can become familiar with the state of spontaneity (life without striving), and that state of spontaneity is essential and foundational to creativity and to expression - meaning the unconscious manifestation of reality (truth). When I look at modern poetry today, I don't see play, I don't see people being daft or silly, I don't see people being uninhibited, unintentional or unconcerned (free). Instead I see a tendency to being uniformly serious, and to being sensible (self-conscious), and seriousness now being the generally exclusive (obligate) mode, I feel that something has gone wrong with poetry. I feel that it has lost its way.

What I don’t see is humour, satire, protest or social commentary as a living vein of power in the body of Poetry today. I am not suggesting that seriousness is not valid and valuable, but that seriousness loses its meaning where there is no living counterpoint to measure it against.

The trouble with being playful (in public) is that it leaves the player vulnerable in various interrelated ways.  First, there's the charge of being literally (literature-aly) insane:  "you believe that?  why are you always talking about unicorns and fairies?"  In a related vein, humor (which cannot be separated from unmotivated playfulness) has an edge - all the best jokes have a moral component.  Which means some readers will feel hurt - responding with "that's not funny!" while others just don't get it - instead of pretending not to.  Similarly, but worse, some will feel - or pretend to feel - threatened and endangered.

Furthermore, the humorless make, by far, the best butts of humor... so once play starts, they run in smaller and smaller circles until the only escape is to attack someone - in some cases not figuratively.  Or to climb into a safe bubble where no discouraging - or true - words are permitted.

So it's true, play can be dangerous - and not even playing near the edge.  Though in the mirror-nature of modernity, those anticipating danger are the more dangerous by far.

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Anyway, political poetry is always free verse, and I suck at it.