Why enjoy poetry? Today is International Day for Poetry: do you enjoy poetry?
Reading and listening to pieces of poetry have really defined my character. A page length or even half an A4 size sheet is enough to evoke a feeling. I hated many words at a time, though my profession now expects the contrary, so my love for poetry grew greatly. I got one of these works to back my disposition about seven years back in the secondary school when one of my English textbooks taught me the poem “A Man of Words”. Who will object to this, that the man or the woman that never learned to contract words seldom avoided mistakes? A word, a phrase or even a short sentence of instruction that is clear will always be better than a paragraph or a page of information full of ambiguities.
My love for poetry will never end, whether in written or in a form of music. Short sentences crafted or creatively woven never came to me, but my conscience. This is the power of poetry.
I wish I were a poet. That is what I told the literature student friend. The response has been ‘sweeping out the dark’ from me since then. That “you already are”! “Just keep it up, I mean reading and listening and sometimes try writing pieces of poetry”. Sometimes I would still wish I were a poet, a good one of course; so that I can speak to the conscience of my people, about the well-being of a developing nation. I would try to see if I can accomplish that and more others even though Niccolo Machiavelli and many others suffered for a similar course.
Does the passion for poetry have any bad side? I just realised the other day how two different friends of mine who almost always disclose their dislike for music, in general, and works of poetry go about doing things. They approach things dispassionately, they are consistent in being impartial, and are most of the time on the winning side. So I asked myself, am I emotional because of the love for music and poetry? That is a question I seek an answer to.
But I still wish I were a poet, not like Michael Konnelly’s poet in his “The Poet” who would employ his artistic talent in committing crimes against people; I would rather employ my artistic talent in the commitment to the welfare and well-being of people. I do not want my interest in poetry to rest with only reading poetry as this day, International Day of Poetry requires everyone to do, but also in writing for the development of my people. This I would do if I were a poet.
Happy Poetry Day to you all!!!
