What Would Keats Do?

Published on by Tosha Michelle

image

Beautiful, meaningful poetry
is always possible.
Think of Shakespeare
and his sonnets.
Frost and his road
less traveled.

The poem I’m writing now
may be beautiful
and full of meaning.
It may not be.

Perhaps, it’s too early to tell.
Should I keep going?
What if I’m trying to hard
to create art?
The verses will show the pressure.

I want my poetry
to remind the reader
of themselves,
not so much the poet.
I want them to listen alone
with their own minds and hearts.

Maybe the secret
to beautiful poetry
full of depth
is not caring.
Perhaps, when I leave
poetry behind, abandon words
and have no desire to write,
that’s where great writing
will find me.

As I sit reading Anne Sexton,
I’ll remember what I once
would have sacrificed
to create art that matters.
And I’ll pick up my pen and paper
and write the poetry I dreamed of
as though I was another poet,
and as if i were the poet,
I may never be again.

-Tosha Michelle

96 thoughts on “What Would Keats Do?”

  2. an interesting idea for a poem, teasing out a poet’s inner tensions:

    “Perhaps, when I leave
    poetry behind, abandon words
    and have no desire to write,
    that’s where great writing
    will find me…”

    personally, i would like to see a few more metaphors included, akin to your image:) or maybe classically known images that encapsulate those poets mentioned…?

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  8. Wonderful self-reflection Tosha. Really.
    I think that great poetry is authentic. Something that is birthed out of experience and worldview. That’s when we find true and meaningful writes. Of course we have to work at it, but the essence of it must come from within.
    Have a beautiful day beautiful.
    🙂 ❤

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  17. This is wonderful, it is great for many reasons, including its questioning, I have many times thought in a similar vain, but in the end I try and write a poem or peace that can cause some emotion or conversation, that could help people in some way, and I think that your poems are incredibly good at doing just that, and transporting one into another world of imagination and feeling. I always feel so warm and invigorated by your writing. I think we all, however have our doubts and write about them, and this was just an incredible way of writing this doubt up for people to read and grow. Strength, best wishes and blessings, Charles. :-).

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      1. Thanks Tosha, even after 46 years of writing one still has butterflies, as to whether this poem is good enough. So it is always good to hear or read that the poems are good and deep, just like yours. Have a great and creative weekend., Charles.

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      5. Yes, you have a very good point: fools rush in…. (But, we did have a few hundred other fools, er, riders out there with police support, rest stops, etc. AND we were done by 0930 CDT.)

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      7. Thanks! I have watched the Texas bike rally phenomena “grow up” since the (late) 1990’s. Just in the North Texas region alone (aka Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding cities such as Plano, Arlington, and Denton) I would estimate that we have between 35 and 70 rallies per year (maybe more!). See, also: http://www.bicycle-stuff.com/reviews/index.htm (Note: even though this only goes back to 2011, I was using this site back in the 1990’s. I think someone should make a documentary about this.)

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      9. No, I did not know that. I do not know FW very well, but my SO grew up there. We visit from time to time. Did they have Spiral Diner there when you lived there?

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      11. If you ever go back for a visit, then you might want to check it out. They have a branch in Dallas now also. (South Dallas, near Oak Cliff)

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      21. That is new to me, but I like it. Rock and roll went in a direction I did not like for a decade or two. But some new work is coming out that I like. Maybe it is the “generation skipping” thing. (Maybe I should spend some time with the 18 to 25 group.)

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  20. Almost 3rd person, again? 🙂 ♡♡♡;-)
    It’s hard for me to imagine, either one of you laying the pen down for long.
    All them words lining up in your head, just busting at the seams ta get out.
    This is truly a equine spin you pulled off, again….

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  24. This is wonderful Tosha. You’re incredibly gifted. I think actually (from experience) when we show more of ourselves, especially the hidden bits, that is what people relate to the most. We sometimes think what we are going through is only unique to us, forgetting many people go through similar journies, and through our own personal journey’s relate.

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