I was a poet almost before
I was anything else
not child not girl not daughter not sibling
to be sure these things are set down early
sometimes against your will
But all the other things that come
from the workings of your own endeavour
or the strange arrangements of your mind
came after I was already a poet
careful stackings of lettered blocks
declamatory statements from bed platforms
spotting lyricism with sharp eyes
from every vantage
Whether or not I am this very moment writing
I always call myself a poet
I don't have a problem with it
Great! :)
ReplyDeleteI think this issue is actually a lifelong struggle for many if not most of us
ReplyDeleteYes, that seems to be the case Kit and that is why I was considering the matter. Being a poet for me is a state of being not an occupation. Its the way my brain is wired, or the way I wired it from the beginning. I can't actually remember not being a poet.
DeleteI've struggled for many years with the idea that poetry was something you had to be accused of but couldn't really claim for yourself ... so it has always been comfortable for me to label myself by way of my day-job doing
ReplyDelete... but now with 12 books of poetry in English, with books of my poetry in six other languages, several scholarly books and numerous articles on the subject, and with the fact that it really is the thing that I do for a large part of every day (not to mention being my main genre for reading as well) plus the fact that I teach, mentor and continually edit poetry writing - i.e. unquestionably, poetry is my main activity -- why do I remain reluctant to call myself a poet ? guess it's just habit ?
A lovely poem, Mikaela. (Me, it seems that I am as much of a teacher as I am a poet. And as much of a poet as I am a teacher. They are the 2 most obvious sides of me. But what I call myself isn't really important!)
ReplyDeleteI love that thought that you have to be accused of poetry! It's interesting isn't it? I have no books of poetry published in any language! I do other things for the major part of my day and don't make my living from my writing. I don't teach it, don't talk it, don't go out publicly poeting into the world... but I am still a poet. I am not only a poet but I am a poet nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteYes, perhaps we are all born poets, but little by little the years hack away at us until only the strong (or mad?) remain.
ReplyDelete