The bald truth of it

There is a truth in writing and when I am searching for it myself

And can’t find it

I look to other writers that speak it well

Writers like Bukoswki

Yes

He is an angry man who speaks badly and crudely and rudely

At times

Yet when I feel angry

And I read a bite of his poetry

I feel anger explained

And can move through it

There is an element of truth so fundamental in his work

I am reminded

Truth doesn’t care what other people think

Truth isn’t always kind or nice or pretty

Truth doesn’t care to explain itself

It is there simply

And bluntly

Like the bald spot on the back of an otherwise youthful mans head

He may try to cover it once he finds it

A hat

A toupee

Yet beforehand

It is there

And he is better off for not knowing

More handsome

Simply being

Truth is like that

And to me poetry is truth

Tactless

Subconscious

Raw

So

Poetry is best left as it is

Unvarnished and real

It is uncovered

Not prettied up

Most of the poetry I write falls

like an empty can out of a car door

I don’t try and make it sound better

Or rhyme nicely

That is not the point

Nor the poetry

I did think at some stage that if I spent a bit more time on the poems

Like several hours or days

They might sound better

But then I realised

They would just turn into toupees

And fake hair is never

Real

Nor worthy

Maybe for a book I might take one of these raw concepts

And put a prettier dress on it

But then poetry tends to lose its rawness

It’s edginess

It’s slap of reality

When you contrive

So then again

Maybe not

Thoughts?

*on another not dissimilar note – That note being truth – I have found an amazing talent (one good reason to read newspapers at times I guess) Kate Tempest – poet – listen to her beautiful poem “Peoples Faces” below.

https://youtu.be/aRULtXn6W0s

14 thoughts on “The bald truth of it

  1. You made your point, but if I may… I think you are trying too hard. Bob Dylan and Neil Young say that they are simply conduits taping into some bigger than they are… happens to me too. When I stop thinking and just work I make good pictures. Just my thoughts.

    • Thoughts always welcome Ray and you’re right – when it’s flowing it’s great – sometimes it’s not and I begin to overthink – this is what I meant – the good stuff doesn’t need to be enhanced – the mediocre probably does or rather – when it isn’t flowing perfectly a poet should just shut up or talk about something else. 😊

      • Or, any kind of artist should develop a routine that places them into a position that opens themselves up to wherever their art comes from, keeping in mind something I always point out about American baseball. The best hitters hit around .300. That means they make an out two out of three times.

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