Some AP poets discuss Poetry & why we do what we do: Thanksgiving Day essai-inter-vue

Ha ha! But I'm having fun with this, and decided to put it on before it's finished so some can see in almost "real time" how the rough draft and editing go. I was already editing the section on AJ Morelli into the rest, when I realized, from dialogue with Zahhar, that I'd forgotten to give him enough notice, so we didn't have his responses. For this I apologize: sorry, Zahhar, and sorry, my gentle audience. I'm hoping we'll be getting his i.m. responses so we can weave them into this "virtual inter-vue," which hopefully may be realized in phyical reality some day.

Today, I'd like to take a look at a few poets from Allpoetry --

ZAHHAR, LENCIO SUNCHILD, HORUS, & AJ MORELLI


Zahhar’s, who describes himself as "extremely dedicated to poetry as an art form." Zahhar has advanced beyond pouring out feelings, however authentic they may be, and has found a zen-like focus on craft, honing the poetry as a woodworker would shave down excess to create table legs or some other product.

It is not easy to describe Zahhar's poetry, though he does tend to examine the world with a perspective influenced by Buddhism and other non-Western anthropology. "But I’m wholly influenced by the principles of animism. animism describes my way of looking at the world better than anything else I’m aware of." Zahhar rejects the "stream-of-consciousness" writing which may have been overdone as a result of the craze developed by such as James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Faulkner, Jack Kerouac and the Beat Poets. Poetry, for Zahhar, "is an art that deserves years and years worth of study and practice."

Zahhar, would you please share with AP your definition of poetry?

Zahhar: Poetry is a difficult thing to define. I once felt that only rhyming verse could be considered poetry, but that was a long time and many life experiences ago. Today I can say I feel that poetry is probably more of a literary genre, like fiction and drama, than it is a literary mode, like verse and prose. And I think this is where the confusion lies with issues concerning the classification of poetry and prose, in trying to defend a concrete dividing line between the two. I don't feel that poetry and prose are even in the same class. Prose is in a class with modes of writing while poetry is in a class with genres. This means poetry can be written in either verse or prose formats, just as fiction and drama can.

So with this said, the question becomes: How do I feel poetry to be separable from fiction, non-fiction, drama, and other literary genres? And to this I have to respond again that this is not an easy question to answer. I think it has to do with the level of interpretability within words and phrases. The higher the interpretability, the closer you are to 'poetry'.


How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first poem twenty-one years ago. So I'm going to guess since then.


What is the "mission" of the poet, if any? If the poet has no mission, what is the reason to exist?

I'm going to guess that this varies between writers of poetry. My mission as a poet has changed over the years. Presently my mission is simply to explore and learn about poetry and its various modes. I would like to eventually realize--literally "awaken to"--my full potential as a writer of poems. So I think this would be my overall mission.


Why do you write poetry?

That's a good question. One day when I figure it out I'll tell you.


Where or in what state is poetry in the English-speaking world today?

It's in a state of self-expository repetition and decay. Everyone's a poet. All you have to do is write a few gushing words about your dead cat, your views on politics, or your sexual desires, and you're a poet. Most people are not interested in studying poetry itself and just want recognition for their thoughts and feelings under the guise of "poetry". But this is delusion. Mass delusion, in fact.

For the most part, poetry is a lost art which has been replaced with unabashed self-exposition--a genre in itself which has claimed the name of "poetry" for the time being.


How does poetry compare between, say, North America and the United Kingdom? Is there a global poetry?

Well since most of it is pretty much unabashed self-exposition, it's all pretty much the same, except for regional self-expository trends. There are islands of actual poetry out there, but these are mere aits not easily noticed amid the broad sea of self-expository verbiage. So, yes, I'd say there is a global poetry, and that the manner of self exposition is sometimes regionally distinct.

And those few unnoticed aits practically drowned in the swell? They represent unique individuals, period. People who think and act for themselves and can't really be counted among the global community of self-expository 'poets'.



Let's consider the work of another poet, Lencio-Sun-child:

cafégroundzero: Lencio, What is your definition of poetry? What is the mission of the poet, if any? Where is poetry today? That is to say, in what state is poetry today, in the US?

How long have you (all) been writing?

Lencio-Sun-child: Very well, for me poetry is just a thought and a release for my emotions. It is a moment in time that is captured through this wonderful thing we call poetry. Unlike many around the world, to me poetry may NOT have to rhyme and may not have to be in strict verse form. That is why I call my work as "Thoughts, Dreams and Poetry."

cafégroundzero: And now, ladies, gurlz, gentlemen and boyz and boys, now may we present to you, Horus, from the sunny land:

Horus: My definition of poetry is anything written to be mean more than the writer, something sacrificed for a bigger cause, the language of the gods, a creative tool to explore all dimensions, that's poetry.

café: AJ Morelli, last but NOT the least, one asks you, What is your definition of poetry?

"Like most things, I think poetry is the result of a constant evolution, so a definition would be impossible in any specific sense. I do think it fair to say that the poetry being written today should be attached in some way to that evolutionary tree," responds AJ Morelli.

"There are poetic devices and these devices are the tools by which the art of poetry is created. Knowing how these devices are used is essential to understanding a poems quality.
"Definitions are by nature limitations, poetry is ignorant of limitations."

Back to you, Lencio Sun-child:

Lencio-Sun-child: As far as writing and other activities is concerned, I think I balance these things well as I am involved in a number of activities and I still can make time for everything. I am the Head of Department, and Accountant by profession, and at work, it is purely working with figures, planning etc. There is absolutely no time for poetry. Once I am out of the office, my mind begins to write poetry about the world around me. Most of my writes are inspired by my dreams, which I put to paper the next day. My other inspiration comes from the people I interact with. I feel the contests on Allpoetry are a great way to inspire people to write. I am a Tenor for the Dubai Catholic Church Choir and spend 3 evenings each week rehearsing and singing. I am also the Coordinator for the "Dessert Voices", the poetry Club of Dubai.

Horus: I write whenever the opportunity presents itself, but since I'm an opportunist, that equates to writing often, and I have been doing just that since the 4th grade.
"My day job is a story in itself. I work for my godfather, David Weisman, in Hollywood. I'm what you would call a rennaissance man: I make a salary as a assistant (butler) so to speak to David, who is an ecclectic director/producer, he is my mentor. While doing that I am afforded the luxury of maintaining many different occupation, everything from acting to performing music, renovating houses to welding, I do it all.

café: AJ Morelli,what are your plans, concerning writing?

My immediate plans are to keep writing in the approximate style I am writing in now, sharpening it, fine tuning poetry beyond what I once thought myself capable of. In the long term I think I'm going to turn to longer narrative pieces and perhaps a novel, that's been bouncing around in my mind for some time now but is still pretty much a dream.


What are your plans, concerning writing?

Lencio Sun Child: I am working on my book, which will probably be out by next year. Since it is my first project I really want to make it something really genuine. This will include a column and examples of Lento, the form which I have created.

cafégroundzero: Is there anything else you would like to say for the record?

Lencio-Sun-child: I think we as poets are very sensitive people and this is the reason why we write. This sensitivity prompts us to write our innermost thoughts, the deepest secrets of life.

"I feel most poets do have a mission to convey something to the world, to change it through their thoughts, their feelings, to soothe an aching soul, to love the loveless, to stop wars, wars or hearts. There is a mission and this is why we write.

"In what state is poetry...in the world? More and more people, mostly youngsters are interested in verse today.

"Dessert Voices", itself has more of younger members that older ones, and they write amazing poetry, perform amazing poetry. The hip-hop style has got in and changed the whole outlook of poetry today. Rhyme is stepping back. You see more and more young people feel interested in poetry nowadays, and in my experience I have seen people who weren't liking poetry at all, adore this kind of stuff, because it is different.

Lencio Sun Child: My writing began when I was in the 7th grade when I roamed the outdoors to study for my exams. I used to write on nature and love. Love because I was just beginning to feel love, it was all so fresh about feeling and falling for someone…those passing stages. With umpteen breaks in between, I continued to write until the last two years where my writing became more aggressive.

I am working on my book, which will probably be out by next year. Since it is my first project I really want to make it something really genuine. This will include a column and examples of Lento, the form which I have created.


Lencio Sun-child: Lastly I would like to include that poetry is a good form of relaxation and we at the Dessert Voices look out for just that. We meet once a month and have an evening of Poetry Performance, where people can read their own work or someone else\rquote s. We have plans to teach and reach children and have workshops for them, so that poetry which we think is fading can revive and grow.

Horus: the mission of the poet is to broadcast the truth about life without censorship, or bias. We are the universal journalists. The state of poetry today is three-fold. utter teenage emo tripe, middle of the road hallmark bullshit, and innovative cutting age internet and literary zeitgeists of the kerouacain order. Poetry is both war and peace, trial by fire and pure skaldic ravings, poetry (as always) is poised to re-write history. I have been writing since the dawn of man, and my plans are nothing shy of revolution. through revelations.

cafégroundzero: Is there anything else you would like to say for the record?


horus: My advice to young poets is to write about things more important than themselves, nobody wants to hear a spoiled teen whine about their pubescent feelings when the world is in complete chaos. In ten years my poetry will probably\line be more prose than rhyme and I'll be the most recognized american underground poet in the world.

(following is appended text of i.m. interview now being edited into text of total interview)

A.J. Morelli




What is the mission of the poet, if any?

I do believe some poets have a mission, or seem to have had one... Political poets, of which there where and still are many. Certainly many religious or spiritual poets wrote as if they were answering some higher calling and also those poets who redefine the medium, some relativly recent examples being the Cummings, Whitmans, Williams,some of the Beats, so many really.


I don't think poets necessarily have a mission as a rule. If they do, I believe each poet has an individual one. The only mission I have, if you want to call it that, is to write one great poem. If I were to achieve that single thing, I would say mission accomplished.



Where is poetry today?

In the US, Billy Collins...lol



How long have you been writing?

I've been writing poetry for about 20 years, yeah I know I should be much better at it by now, I had been writing songs for about 10 years before than that so I'm what is called in literary circles, a beginner...lol



What are your plans, concerning writing?

My immediate plans are to keep writing in the approximate style I am writing in now, sharpening it, fine tuning poetry beyond what I once thought myself capable of. In the long term I think I'm going to turn to longer narrative pieces and perhaps a novel, that's been bouncing around in my mind for some time now but is still pretty much a dream.



Is there anything else you would like to say for the record?

For the record I'd like to say:

I never had sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky

I have never met Jack Abramoff

I have never received an IM from Mark Foley

I am still not completely sure G.W. Bush won either of the presidential elections.

and I'm a liberal and I support the troops, many of which are my friends and relatives.