[stylist] Chris and William, RE: Poem - "Magician"

[William L Houts]

Hi Chris,

I'm so pleased that the poem became clear to you.  Your note here, by 
the way, is very generous.  It says, I don't always t get poems right 
away, but I'm willing to look at them from mdifferent angles and finally 
come to some sort of peace with them, if that's quite the right word.   
Many people, especially in regards to poems, simiply sniff and walk 
away.  It's a hard go for us poets anyway, these  days, and it's good to 
meet someone who has a little charity and a little patience in his heart.


--Bill





On 4/25/2014 6:12 AM, Chris Kuell wrote:
> Hi Jackie,
>
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts. On the one hand, I agree with you. 
> After Bill explained his poem, when I went back to read it again, I 
> saw exactly what he was doing, and what he meant, and I gained a 
> better appreciation for the poem. Similarly, when I was sighted and 
> used to visit art museums, often they'd have a little card discussing 
> a painting or a sculpture, which gave me a better appreciation for the 
> work. Once I even tailed a tour guide, listening as she filled people 
> in on the artist's lives, and discussed various aspects of the artwork 
> which really helped me to get more from the art.
>
> On the other hand, I can't help but imagine the stand-up comic on 
> stage, telling jokes that either make the audience crack up, or he 
> flops. After all, if he needs to explain why his joke is funny, the 
> chances are it isn't.
>
> But jokes are often a lot simpler than poems. I've read poems where 
> I'm not sure what the poet is trying to say, but I love the imagery, 
> the phrasing, the emotion in the work. I'm probably way off base, but 
> I might imagine the poet in a broken love affair, or fighting with her 
> parents, or simply contemplating the nature of god as he sits on a 
> beach on Cape Cod. I might not be on the right track of what the poet 
> was thinking, but I still get something from the poem. Other times, I 
> just scratch my head.
>
> Now, having written all this, about 16 months ago I started a book 
> group here in my town. We read a different book each month, then meet 
> at each other's houses to discuss it. And I can tell you, I've learned 
> something from every single discussion. No matter how I feel about a 
> book, someone else sees something different, and it always makes me 
> go--oh, I didn't think of it that way. That's very interesting...
>
> So perhaps poetry, for me, might be best enjoyed when I have the 
> opportunity to discuss it with others, to share ideas and bounce 
> perspectives around.
>
> chris
>
>
>
>
>
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           --Jane Siberry