Is This Poetry?
they write the most complicated
arrangement of words
and give them their own tones
and colors and smell
and to a certain extent
of sophistication you do not
understand anything
with all the symbolism
and metaphorizing
suns talking and moons sneering
and cats yawning and seaweeds
dancing and spirits blitzing
and cornucopia feasting
and ambrosia sleeping
and cupid and psyche
dating and lamps lighting
and darkness enclosing
and you complain
that you do not understand a thing
and you say you hate poetry
and this poet asks you: do you understand?
and you honestly say, with a matching shaking of your head
and stamping of your feet: what are you telling me? I do not understand
what your poem is saying.
and he laughs, 'anything that you do not understand is poetry'
and so from that time on, you pretend to understand poetry
simply because, in truth, you do not like it
and on such pretense, you successfully murdered
everything that he wrote.
poems are dead, now they are burying them.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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Related quotes
They'll Never Understand
They'll never understand why their laughter makes me cry.
They'll never understand that what they call truth I know it to be a lie.
They'll never understand as much as they hate me I love them just as much.
They'll understand why on them I'll never give up.
They'll never understand why I don't blame them for their views.
They'll never understand why I do what I do.
I do it because that is who I am.
But they'll never understand.
A poem for you...
I write a poem for you today,
to get a place in your heart for ever
A poem that could tell you my love for you
I write my poem with emotion and affection
for you to understand my deep thoughts for you
A poem to love and a poem to understand its soul
A poem to enjoy and a poem to understand its happiness
A poem to think and a poem to understand its way of life
A poem to learn and a poem to understand its content
A poem to sing and a poem to understand its melody
A poem to cry and a poem to understand its sorrow
There are poems I have written but this is specially for you
The poem could tell you how important you are for me
There are words comes out freely from my mind to write poem
but there are no words to find my love for you
Those words can not missed as I miss your love today
Let me have all those words put in to my heart and
say I love to write a love poem for you
Ravi Sathasivam / Sri Lanka
Copyright ©2004 Ravi Sathasivam
poem by Ravi Sathasivam

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I Understand
I understand your problem
I understand the reason for your tears
I understand what you went through
don't cry because i'm here
I'm here to catch you when you are falling
I'm here to wipe your tears
Be strong
don't let you mistakes lead you
stand and fight for yourself
don't let go
hold on still
i understand how it hurt
i understand how it feels like
get back on your feet
when stumble and fall
i understand
i understand
oh i understand your pain
i understand you went through a lot in life
but remember
be strong, and never give up
I understand
poem by Guenael Oristel

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They don't understand
They don't understand,
What its like to be me.
They don't understand,
Why school is hard for me.
They don't understand,
Why I'm so skinny.
They don't understand,
Why I have no friends.
They don't understand,
What I need.
They don't understand,
Why I lie.
They don't understand,
Why life is hard.
They don't understand,
What life is like for me.
They don't understand,
Why I hurt.
They don't understand,
Why I have fears.
They don't understand,
Why I'm different.
I don't understand,
Why they don't like me.
I don't understand,
Why they don't except me.
I don't understand,
What they say.
I don't understand,
Why they don't undersatnd,
Me...
poem by Dragon Crenshaw

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Poetry
Poetry.......
Poetry defines me
Poetry.......
A place where you be you and I'll be me.
Poetry.......
We are best friends for eternity.
My Poetry.......
Is the daughter of my emotion,
There I've said it, no need to interpret the connection.
Poetry.......
Where my pen and paper are sealed with a kiss,
So easy to write for my mind is a bliss.
Poetry.......
Poetry has multiple meanings,
An indescribable feeling when I realize others understand them.
My Poetry.......
It just comes natural to me.
My Poetry.......
Is out there, , , , , away from exile,
And style of writing is very versatile.
Poetry.......Poetry.......
P oetry.......
It speaks out to me.
poem by Anita Khelawan

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I Promised You That We Make Love At Dawn
but then there is this poem
inside my heart
and it wants to be written
at dawn
and so i promised you
another dawn
tomorrow
you perfectly understand
my situation
it is not simple. it is complicated.
i make it complicated.
you look at it simple enough.
lack of love for you.
devotion to poetry.
and sooner, you declare a war.
an end. you write a letter telling about
the word
goodbye.
i understand it too perfectly.
we have two parting worlds now.
floating stars looking for each nest
in some other space.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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Bayla
The events have not well settled down,
But i have seen the nakedness of your muse;
And be very wise to criticize me on this muse,
Because it is all about your love.
You may understand my muse or not,
But poetry is all about you and i! !
And what you write down in the name of your country will not satisfy me;
But i have to accept your lines in the name of poetry.
I am not the one that you are looking for,
So do not be very angry with my poems;
For they are all there to teach others than you! !
Bayla my lover is still at home,
And like a star in the land of lovers;
But this poem was not writtien for you.
I am very glad to understand your status,
But why are not ready for criticism? !
Because we are all learning on this earth.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis

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Never Will You Ever Understand It
Never will you understand it.
Why things in my heart wont leave.
You will never understand it.
Never will you ever understand it.
Never will you understand it.
Why I express little empathy.
You will never understand it.
Never will you ever understand it.
My mind has grown too agitated and annoyed.
My emotions tied in knots,
Have long dropped as my topic.
I have a peace within,
I'm hoping will never end.
Or come to the point,
I must defend.
Oh...
You will never understand it.
Never will you ever understand it.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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A Poet in His Own Time
Who am I to criticize others,
I'm a poet in my own time,
my own place and my own world.
I just write what I see feel,
and hear.
My poetry may be different,
I don't follow the path
of other poets, but that's
ok, let them write what
they must write in their
own way.
All poetry is beautiful,
some takes longer to
understand.
We're all in this together
we write the poetry that
fulfills our needs.
(4-11-07)
How Can It Hurt
(music: marillion lyrics: steve hogarth)
Maybe youre just too upset inside to give it to me straight
Maybe youve become too angry and too close to crying to say anything I can understand
Or maybe youre just coming in over my head
Maybe youre just too upset inside too upset inside
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt if I dont understand
Youre never gonna square with me I know so what is there to say?
Theres a million words that we could share tonight
Why do you walk away?
And I could write you off and its over with like a damaged car I cant afford to fix
But everything inside me wants to heal your pain
You wont explain
You wont explain
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt if I dont understand
How can it hurt, how can it hurt
Well I dont understand
Well I dont understand
Tell me how can it hurt
Well I dont understand
Tell me how can it hurt
Well I dont understand
song performed by by Marillion

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The more poetry you have in the head, the more poetry you will understand because you will be getting to the roots of what it is that makes people write poetry at all.
quote by Peter Davison

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Modern Poets And Modern Poetry
Modern poets and modern poetry seem far too complex to understand
For such as I a common labourer from the boglands of Ireland
Though whether it be good or not so it is not for me to say
As I'm not a poetry critic and so I'll keep my tongue at bay.
Maybe some of these modern poets are special and the poems they write are great
And maybe they are superior thinkers writing from exalted state
Most poetical critics now acclaim them and prefer the modern style
And 'twould seem that modern style poets are now the in thing and their efforts seem worthwhile.
But for me it's old style ballad, give me good old fashioned rhyme
To the modern style of poetry I'd prefer it every time
Like I say I'm just a labourer from the boglands of Ireland
And the complex modern style of poetry is far too hard for me to understand.
poem by Francis Duggan

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Three
How can I ever explain poetry?
To a child it would be easy
Eenie minee minee moe
Catch the monkey by the toe
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To get a pail of water
Is a poem easily understood by
A child
But to an adult
How can I ever explain poetry?
Can I explain it with a straight
Look in the eye
And I will tell him
Poetry Is looking a person straight in the eye
Yes you have only one more day to live?
Can I explain it to him
Like I have a gun and point it straight to his head
And say
Yes poetry kills and it kills you in a minute
And for free?
Or can I explain poetry to him
Like I am on the tenth floor of this building
And I tell him I am so problematic
And all I have to do is
Jump and kill myself
And he would be there
To tell me
Life is beautiful
There is reason to live
That I am loved
That many people still care
That I have a mission
That I have lots of good things to do
That this world has meaning
That I am the child of this universe
That I am no less than the trees and the stars and that by all means
I have the right to be here
That poetry can save
That poetry is one saving person holding one back to his senses
that poetry is hope, love, kindness
it has no word for hate
it does not kill
or enslave
or annihilate
Poetry is a decision
Not to jump.
That is poetry to me
And as an adult he must understand
he must understand what i am really trying to say
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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Understan me please
Please understand me.
You are one of the closest people to me in a way.
But for some reason you don't understand me.
It's almost as if you don't want to understand.
I'm just a target to shout at.
Just an idiot you don't really want to understand.
But I am your blood.
Why can't you at least try to understand?
It's not as if I enjoy attempting suicide all the time.
I don't care what you say it's not always my fualt.
The diagnosis I was given, you won't even take in to account.
I try to explain but you don't listen.
All you say is you know what you are doing.
Stop it you say, yeah becuase it's really that easy not.
I'm not getting any enjoyment out of this you know?
But I wish you wouldn't shout and curse.
You say you love me.
But how can you when you won't try to understand?
Please, please understand me
poem by Amy Louise Kerswell

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We Understand Each Other
We understand each other
Bull!
You hear some distant drummer play
I think we understand each other
Have you no else to offer?
Poor boy!
I have expenses to defray
I hope we understand each other
We have a problem
Yes, but its not that we
Dont understand each other
Oh brother!
When they say understand
They gotta mean fairyland
For twenty tons of silver
She sold him into stir
And when it gets his freedom back
He throws it away over her
When he says understand
He must mean some other girl
Ill never comprehend
My putrid taste in men
Its not fair I love
Each little hair and he
Dont even care about me
When she says understand
Must mean some other man
Our preconceptions to retain
Were obliged to exclaim
We understand each other
We hear some distant drummer play
Must mean we understand each other
Oh brother!
If theres a problem
Well admit it
Not that we dont understand each other
Each other
When they say understand
Its like wendy and peter pan
Have you ever met somebody
More self-involved than he?
This has got to be a miracle
The man has divine empathy
What could be wrong with me?
I know his repartee
Insincere
Hes down
There, Im up here
But whenever hes near
Its some kind of divine empathy
When they say understand
Smells like something else to me
Were talking sleight of hand
Each others mind
We read so well
We have no time to know ourselves
We understand each other
Though we dont even know ourselves
We think we understand each other
Though we dont even know ourselves
We think we understand each other
Though we dont know ourselves
I hope we understand each other
Each other
song performed by by Todd Rundgren

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In Search Of Metaphors And Images To Express Yourself In A Poem
it is the expression that matters most.
it is the relational flow from the writer to the reader
the bond that is created anew, just like an ordinary conversation
one fine day.
why can't poetry be simple and direct? that is the question that poetry
asks
to itself, in itself.
the poet in us can be lost because of so much demands for the absurd,
this metaphor fits, this imagery is perfect, what is it?
you do not accept the sun and the moon and the stars.
cliches of their poetry. You do not show compassion for his feelings
of being abandoned
simply because there are no images that tickle your senses.
even if he jumps with joy, you do not relate to his joys
simply because the images are bland like
burger without the black pepper.
it is enough that one bleeds, one wants a listener, one wants to open
up to the world
Like a bud turning into a flower
(oh forgive this lousy metaphor
i am not a good poet somehow at imaging
at imagining.
Am not a camera.
My eyes are clumsy at details.
And my ears are not sensitive to sound of
beautiful words. They even hide behind my head under my hair.
And there is no compulsion for high highfalutin
Ivory towers of similes from the gods and goddesses of
Literature)
Why can't poetry be just an expression? Just that. A dialogue.
This one, this monologue.
It is enough that you write from the heart.
It is enough that you are true
(oh forgive me, can i be really
true to you? Do i have to be naked and tell you that i am beautiful?
Do i have to master the art of metaphorisms
to be your poet
for the night?)
Or is it that poetry is simply our hiding place
From this world of pain?
Or our chapel for our prayers
Or our playground where we can be children again?
I am tired of squeezing my brain in the quest of the perfect metaphor.
I have read what they have written.
I pretend i like them. They sound so well.
They must be poetry. Real poetry
Those that garner plaques.
Prizes from the jury.
Honestly, I do not understand a thing. Those poems of my idols.
But I read them just the same.
Hoping that I am in and be counted as one of the stars in those
Metaphoric Heavens.I watch every meteor that drops
to the ground. Their tails.
I am not a star. I am just a pebble.
And it is enough for me.
The poem says, just write me.
Don't squeeze your brain to have metaphors
To draw the images.
Just be yourself, and for God's sake if you have something to say
Just say it.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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People Are People
We're different colours
And we're different creeds
And different people
Have different needs
It's obvious you hate me
Though I've done nothing wrong
I've never even met you
What could I have done
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la
People are people
So why should it be
You and I shouldnt get along
People are people
So why should it be
You should hate mePeople are people
So why should it be
You and I shouldnt get along
People are people
So why should it be
You should hate me
You're punching, kicking
And you're shouting at me
And I'm relying on your common decency
La, la. la, la. la
So far it hasn't surfaced
But I'm sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
From your head to your fist
Can't understand what makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people
So why should it be
You and I shouldnt get along
People are people
So why should it be
You should hate mePeople are people
So why should it be
You and I shouldnt get along
People are people
So why should it be
You should hate me
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
song performed by by A Perfect Circle

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Country Leaver
Well I'm going to see you soon in Amsterdam.
I can't believe I can get there but I can, mam.
I hope when I see you that you're still likin' who I am, I am.
But if you don't baby well I'll still tell you that, I understand.
I'll tell you, I I I understand. I'll tell you, I I I understand.
I'll tell you I ...
I'm goin to see you in a foreign land.
I'll pack my bags, oh lord I'm a travelin man's, man.
I hope when I see you that you're still likin' who I am oh yeah.
But if you don't baby well I'll still tell you that, I understand.
I'll tell you, I I I understand. I'll tell you I I I understand.
I'll tell you I...
If you don't baby well I'll still tell you that, I understand.
I'll tell you, I I I understand.
I'll tell you I I I understand, I'll tell you I, Hey
song performed by by Dandy Warhols

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hurricane
It came on like a hurricane
And I don't understand
And it moved me
Like a slow dance
Still I don't understand
It pushed me like a tailwind
And I don't understand
And it came in
Through the back door
And I don't understand
Still I don't understand
You're all that I could need
And I'm falling on my knees
Hurricane
You pulled me out of the past
And landed me in today
Hurricane
You pulled me out of the past
And walked me into tomorrow
Hurricane
It picked me like a cherry
And I don't understand
And it killed me with the craving
Still I don't understand
It thrilled me to starvation
And I don't understand
And it stripped me ugly naked
And I don't understand
Still I don't understand
You're all that I could be
And I'm falling on my knees
song performed by by Natalie Imbruglia from White Lilies Island

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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There Was A Time / When Poetry Was The Poet's Only Life
THERE WAS A TIME/ WHEN POETRY WAS THE POET’S ONLY LIFE
There was a time
When Poetry was the Poet’s only life-
All that was in his experience
Had its meaning
Only as Poetry.
But when he began to understand
‘Poetry’ had primarily become a ‘means’
For his own Greed and Ego.
Poetry was lost.
But as he was a Poet in his soul,
He and his life too were also lost.
poem by Shalom Freedman

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