THE - by Bob Atkinson

"THE"

"... definite article

(used, especially before a noun, with a specifying or particularizing effect, as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of the indefinite article a or an ): the book you gave me; Come into the house ..."

Dictionary - THE

use of this word denotes "lazy"

one who cannot think in terms

beyond banal into deep fissures, or with

broad ideas toward which we burn

simple thoughts of simple minds

throw caution against fast winds

flying back to slap our face

thereby waking us again

time to give this world our best

not bristle with biased phrases

facing forces of simplistic convert

via superficial activity nauseating

MFA, CW - by Bob Atkinson

MFA, CW

(c)2013 Bob Atkinson

Plato

she teaches masters program

doesn't know how to write

the, the, the's abound in

her legacy, so hackneyed, trite

she gets accolades abundant

from those who do not know

how words affect the mind

how our life force flows

wake up, smell common thoughts

darned establishment of note

tell all how you devised this

promotion of words mundane

how you took our poetry

to a lower level of performance

how you left emotion and

ideas out of your chattered notions

no explanation of history

art, science or deeds well performed

no telling stories true in form

you've poetry, by yourself, undone

You Call That Poetry? Oh My - by Bob Atkinson

You Call That Poetry?
Oh My

(c)2013 Bob Atkinson

give it one more shot

simple benefit of doubt

sally to our Center

to see what Poetry's about

all hoopla rides their banter

quick and slickly shown

a presentation of quality touch

to show us how it's done

he teaches that master's program

fine art of languages good and great

lets students wait for him to speak

comes not quickly out the gate

here to read his poetry book

upon which his ego thrives

that self appointed guiding light

of deep oceans and large tides

none of these words harmonious

no flow of thought he makes

no point in his dissertation

no desire to emotions elevate

Poem: 18 Stoic Faces

those 18 stoic faces written

about such an event of long ago

turned into two-fifty students

were told they had to go

he must have been a failed preacher

learned from the seminary techniques

droned on and on into infinity

no thoughts in words he spake

was like a moving stopwatch

hanging on a golden chain

could see the implementation

of hypnotic techniques again

Poem: Emotion of Disgust

emotions grew within me

those emotions of disgust

as he threw my genre' to the dogs

kept respect with his language not

thought I heard a statement

cuss word, had he just read?

there again twice repeated

four letter word of sin

"one more and we're outta here

can't stand what he presented"

there it was, "I'm finished

can't take no more of this

 his reading's senseless!"

the cuss words eliminate

any chance of PK-12 inclusion

in usage of these writings

becomes just useless musings

so to those who profess

with airs and pretense made

without profound perception

of why we think with brains

I say with deep conviction

as Wordsworth said to Lucy

"... Poetry, dear should be written

as with normal conversation ..."

else it's not the stuff of legend

as with Plato, Homer and Baudelaire

this stuff of smell begets disgust

and frustration for those who care

Poetry in its strongest form

those emotional words of note

lives through generations

to inform and excite the folks

thus holding a tight bond
between people of today's events
with those not yet born or living
until hundreds of years away

 how we feel about our times
and our history we elaborate
all connected to our descendents
through stories of our mind's state

this is Poetry's legacy

Poem: MFA, CW 

The Verb: "To Be" - by Bob Atkinson

The Verb: "To Be"

(c)2013 Bob Atkinson

Cliché

"to be" defines one self

in a simple kind of way

ignoring all nooks and crannies

ramifications forever delayed

a word that says in statement

oh so clichéd in practice, "I am"

gives not much style and integrity

not much intricacy of action planned

is, am, was, were,

along with he, she and it

become examples of simplicity

not descriptions for speeches fit

words with all good thoughts erased

dumbed down by language hacks

backed not by true grit and utility

but by veneer of effort lacking

turns complexity to simpleton's banter

deep thoughts to duh's and ah's

many ways to rearrange

so thoughts more easily absorbed

sure, times do arise

where these keys fit in a hole

of course, they can complete a theme

but please

don't spread them like jelly on toast

To Poet - by Bob Atkinson

To Poet

(c)2013 Bob Atkinson

Homer

to poet means a lot of things

here in one round land of feelings

conjured by dreams of flowing streams

striving to alter causes sadly dreamed

me, I drool upon my desk

with tongue between my teeth

and hallucinate about progress

we could make if astute, tenacious

that is, faithful to ourselves

and our long lost friends of note

faithful to some we've never met

and yes,

to some who frighten us to the bone

we're all in this boat together

this leaky kind of world

where every little thing we do

creates problems, whirlpools

we see ourselves as lucid beings

with hindsight, feelings oh so good

yet we thrust upon each other burdens

with our violent kind of moods

tell me if my dreams of glory

for my fellow man and woman

drift toward the impossible

outside of words that can be certain

to poet means to understand

not all wants, just what comes to mind

to poet means to bring out thoughts

to emerge those tears of crying

living as though in utopia

that perfect kind of world

where all that ever could be

has this Earth encircled

No Poet - by Bob Atkinson

No Poet

(c)2013 Bob Atkinson

Poet

saw a trailer on TV

a party at somebody's castle

in NY, where money flows

OP's that is, nothing anchored

fellow asked the beauty what

she did in life, that small talk stuff

said to him in sincere tone

"I'm a Poet," he winced, groaned

asked again same question there

"a Poet, yes," she replied with airs

"hmmm...." he said and pondered this

what this meant escaped his head

his thoughts raced back to a phrase

he'd read on somebody else's page

".....a Poet, huh ... what does that mean?

A Poet, lady are you just dreaming?

who told you this

your P.O. or your lawyer

your barber or dog's groomer

or, your fortune teller Roma?"

taught CW for years at U

doesn't mean you're stuff's not goo

saw some words written such

five "the's" in two lines of muck

no purpose in those lines of junk

just 'azure skies,' the older stuff

fuzzy words on a stained page

nothing good, simple ego raging"

so, you're a Poet, huh?

what does that mean?

simply put, it's in your dreams

Poets lift our world above

by helping us survive the lust

it's something you do
not who you are
it's part time musings
not to the bar

not a title bequeathed by blood
just a simple labor of love