I agree with you entirely Grasshopper. I have written once about the death
of my wife and that at many years distance. I have not yet considered
writing about my mother's death because it was only nine years ago. I think
though that if I write about someone else's grief at a loss then those
deaths and the personal anguish I experienced are a resource for me and I
can write about them by proxy, as it were, or better come at the sideways.To
come up to such face first is to risk distortion of the truth  we hope
poetry allows us to access.Arthur.
----- Original Message -----
From: "grasshopper" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 6:37 PM
Subject: Re: Lost from view


> Dear David,
> I think there's sometimes a confusion between feeling and expression.
Poetry
> is not about how much you've felt or suffered, but about how well you
> communicate that to someone else. So what we crit are the techicalities of
a
> poem, not the feelings that underlie or inspire it.
>    I've written poems about grief,for instance,in quite a measured
way,when
> at the time, I'd  literally howled like an animal at the pain I felt.
>  Deep feelings don't guarantee a good poem,-in fact,. I think it is often
> easier to write about things that we don't feel deeply about, or don't
> involve us. Too much involvement can warp our artistic judgment.  I'd be
> very interested to know what others think about this.
> Kind regards,
>            grasshopper
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D.C Bursey" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [THE-WORKS] Lost from view
>
>
> > Good! we all know you are sane
> > never be sorry for the truth my friend and until you have that kind of
> pain
> > you will never know what it is thank you for your comments
> > I know I was toooo... abstract with that but one never really knows
until
> one
> > tries "right?
> > dc
> > grasshopper wrote:
> >
> > > Dear David,
> > >  The trouble with this for me is that it is all so abstract that I
can't
> > > connect with it.
> > >  What is the laughter of pain, or the laughter of pain in darkness? It
> just
> > > feels like a collection of 'poetic' phrases to me. Sorry to be so
> negative,
> > > but it just doesn't convince or engage me on any level.
> > > Kind regards,
> > >        grasshopper
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "D.C Bursey" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 4:01 PM
> > > Subject: [THE-WORKS] Lost from view
> > >
> > > > The  laughter of pain
> > > > in darkness reigns
> > > > as my sun bleeds.
> > > >
> > > > Foundations of bone,
> > > > now limestone,
> > > > cement hope.
> > > >
> > > > I dissolve in the cavern
> > > > deep in the mountain
> > > > of my mind.
> > > >
> > > > Your eyes
> > > > cannot absorb
> > > > my light.
> > > >
> >
> >