The Way of Poetry by Dennis Fritzinger
There are people who think poetry makes nothing happen, and they’re right — it doesn’t build dams, make nuclear weapons, start wars, kill rhinos for their horns or elephants for their ivory, harpoon whales, or spread disease.
What poetry does do (the list is long) is — put a grumpy child to sleep, comfort a bereaved parent or spouse, make us laugh, entertain us, give us something to hold onto, enrich our lives.
Poetry is a way of seeing the world, it gives us a personal vocabulary for expressing what we want to say but can’t find words for, it is a kind of karate that overthrows a much bigger opponent with one quick move.
Poetry can even remind us that we are not alone or isolated, that the whole planet is here with us, and the fact that we are born confers membership in the entire scheme of life.
What we do with our membership is up to us, of course, and not without its challenges, but not without its rewards either. And poetry is a way of knowing that.
Date: October 13, 2012
Categories: Inspiring Voices