Replying to a comment on:

Divorcing Tennessee (Free verse) by Dovina

For lack of support and too little love, you divorce Tennessee and go to one who is handsomer, wealthier and warmer, such as San Luis Obispo, and next summer you write a letter back to Gainesboro, all about your new life, a new religion that isn't based on guilt and ritual! no! it's based on mutual respect, a willingness to explore our spirituality, and you write all about your new friends, your inquiring intellect and your success, and tell them you made a rational move, and all is well for a while, til October rolls around, and you miss the delicious sadness of fall, the blazing yellow poplars, and oaks turning red, the smell of potatoes, wood smoke, and rotting logs. Having lost October, you've become an occupant of a house, a credit-card holder, an insuree, a face on a driver's license, and devoutly wish for someone in rolled-up shirtsleeves, to whom you can bring lemonade, while he stops the chainsaw for a few minutes, or that a giant earthquake would hurl you into the Pacific.

Joshua_Tree 28-Jun-05/12:15 PM
I would rather read the poem than the criticism, so I'll not join any existing fracas below. You have made up words, used an unnecessary archaism, butchered punctuation, thrown capitalization completely out the penthouse window... and it was worth it.

The poem reads, at least to someone who has never been to Tennessee, like it was written by someone from Tennessee, or rather that these were the raw thoughts of the person failing to assure themselves of their decision.

I love the beauty and artistry of the language as much as anyone, but I also love its flexibility. Someone with the skill for expression should be allowed to make the determination for themselves whether to use formal or free flowing styles to reflect their subject matter. Any elitist to say otherwise can go to Barstow as far as I'm concerned.




Track and Plan your submissions ; Read some Comics ; Get Paid for your Poetry
PoemRanker Copyright © 2001 - 2024 - kaolin fire - All Rights Reserved
All poems Copyright © their respective authors
An internet tradition since June 9, 2001