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Have you ever had an experience where a poem had a calming effect or offered you emotional release?

We have had poet's set up by our art booths each weekend, and it's been quite a success. People like nice poetry.. but I've found that the really weird stuff (painting your face white and going on and on about your ovaries or something like that) tends to throw everyone except the hard core addicts off.

One gentleman buys a piece of artwork from each of us (usually one a month) on the condition that we each write a peom to accompany our piece... I'm not sure what joy he gets out of this, since I am NOT as poet (I'm an artist, I'll admit it, I couldn't write a real poem if my life depended on it!) but he gets a new one each month, so hey, whatever makes you happy is what I say <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My mother recited poetry instead of singing lullabyes, so I tend to associate poetry with quiet and peace anyway. My children, although I did the same thing, preferred to play with poetry. When they got keyed up, they'd recite Poe and scare each other or act it out. My son used to chase his sisters screaming "Quothe the raven, nevermore!" and they'd scream. (No, I don't know why!)

One of your own poems has a calming effect on me. Kentucky Wonders paints a scene straight out of my own childhood and it always brings back memories of my grandmother. When I'm missing her, I like to read that one over and picture her in the garden, or the two of us working together to prepare the beans and peas we picked in her garden. We'd sit on the front porch and shell peas or snap beans, talking and giggling. My grandma could have been the subject for that poem, and it brings a peaceful feeling to remember her in those days when her health was good. Kentucky Wonders

I really enjoy Robert Frost poetry for calming, the quiet nature ...

LOL Jessica--I know exactly what you mean! I have a hard time with extreme stuff like that. I just don't comprehend it <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> but some people think "ovarian mimes" <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> are the way to go!

I guess that's why I like traditional forms. Most of the form poetry I've read is pretty normal. However, I do like some of William Carlos Williams' poems, esp "The Red Wheelbarrow":

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

You could spend hours trying to figure out what this means! Which at least has nothing to do with pale-faced, premarin-dependent poets! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> (a double-razz for them! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> )