CAN SOME POETRY BE DUMB?

Anything can be dumb, right? But when do you know about poetry? Some of it can be written in less time than a sneeze or a yawn.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Frey on May 31, 2012 at 8:44pm

In the confinements of my mind, or in my own home to my wife I can say that I've read some pretty "dumb" poetry - but who the hell am I to judge someone's work like that....but I certainly have read some pretty dumb, basic, useless, ridiculous material they called "poetry". I feel so empowered and worthy after reading such crap!

- but who am I to judge them

Permalink Reply by jeff herman on June 1, 2012 at 2:30pm

It's OK to have your opinions, as long as you know that they begin and end with yourself.I enjoy a good debate about why I think something is stupid, and have learned to not let it get personal. I've learned to never discuss politics or religion with people who are dumber then I am, I mean with people I don't know very well or want to do business with.

Permalink Reply by Joe Frey on June 1, 2012 at 5:43pm

Yeah I know what you mean Jeff. My tone with my statement above was almost like I am no Literature Professor with a Poetic license. Because I'm sure some folks would think the same thing about some of my work. But I have read some "dumb" stuff and I too, try to avoid long periods of exposure to them! :-)

Permalink Reply by John Ray on May 31, 2012 at 9:58pm

Durn right it can, just read some of mine.

Roll baby roll, roll baby roll

Our family tree is a telephone pole

Its no time to laugh with glee

When a telephone pole is your family tree.

Convinced?

Permalink Reply by jeff herman on June 1, 2012 at 2:35pm

For some reason I liked it until I tried to understand it. You know what I mean? It's like finding a key without any idea where it goes. Or knowing there's a party without knowing where it is or who will even be there. Like waking up married to a face that's unknown in a room you can't recall and feeling pure numbness about it all. If your poetry is only dumb, it's still much smarter than some.

Permalink Reply by John Ray on June 1, 2012 at 4:48pm

I sure do know what you mean. I can't make sense of it, and I wrote it. It does have a little bit of a beat to it, but it is dumb as a box of rocks. But I still like it, it does not try to be smart. Stuff I can't stand is what is hard to read, holds no pleasure in the choice of words, and is still incomprehensible. You beat your way through it and when you're done you say "I'm not any smarter and I didn't have any fun." So here's one that tries not to be dumb. Simple, maybe.

In Passing

Little girls in Sunday dresses

Little girls grow up so fast

As they vanish there's a beauty

In the things not built to last

Children pay with sparklers in the summer in the evening

As the fireflies start their lights up underneath the trees

And their parents watch them on the porch before the dew falls

Life is held together by the summer nights like these

Two old men are slowly walking

Holding one another's hands

In a stone Italian city