The Poet Formerly Known as Thistle
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http://www.violetmoodswing.com
It is the home of
Violet Moodswing Poetry
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Killing Art Images
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violetmoodswing.spaces.live.com/
You can also find me on myspace here:
http://www.myspace.com/violet_moodswing
because i am old (or why i am letting my hair grow to my butt)
fashion statement
i am not
could care less
not much thought
of Paris Hilton
underpants
or lingerie
to itch
and scratch.
since i am old
enough to vote
no treading path
of Glamour's bloat.
think this pink dress
too young for me?
who cares
you squares
my boyfriend
thinks i'm hot
you see.
judge me
grudge me
as you care
this old lady
wears long hair.
no three piece
suit
epitomy
i like my style
so let me be.
no plastic surgeon
grabs my dough
i am satisfied
with what
i show.
gravity
can be
your friend
when it frees you
from the trend.
© Violet Moodswing.
Notice the word epitomy in this poem. Spell check will tell you it is mispelled. Now, spell check is quite useful, but never let it run your life. If you go to www.onelook.com and enter epitomy, you will find one listing in Webster's 1828 dictionary. Sooooooo, why did I choose to use a seemingly archaic spelling of the word? BECAUSE I CAN!!!!!!!
This brings me to my view of creativity. Creativity does not necessarily mean always following the rules. Contrary to the popular opinion of the self proclaimed official --Poetry Police--, being creative means being original. Sometimes being original means following your own path, risky as it seems, and figuring out what you like and don't like. It means finding your voice and using it regardless of another's opinion.
Don't misunderstand me. It is important to acknowledge individual reactions to your writing. It tells you what jumps out at the reader and how your work affects others. Critique is a wonderful thing to receive even when we don't agree with it. It is not what we live and die by, though. Unless you are writing a piece for a class that requires you to make a grade to stay in school, only you set your limits. The ultimate decisions are entirely up to you. So, always consider any feedback you receive, then make your own decisions based on your own desires of expression rather than cookie cutter ideas that would have us all looking the same.
One man's crap
Is another man's
Poetry
© Violet Moodswing.
Be an individual, not a sheep. Form your own ideas and opinions and be creative enough to realize that they are just opinions. There is not always a cut and dried right and wrong. If you don't believe me, do some biographical research on many of the old poets on the Oldpoetry site. The link is at the bottom of every Allpoetry page, for those of you who don't know. Here is a good place to start.
allpoetry.com/authors/Edward%20Estlin%20Cummings
e. e. cummings is the name most of us know him by. He caught a bit of criticism from the poetical powers that be, but it did not stop him from being his own person, with his own mind. I don't necessarily like every poem he wrote, as some of his cubism poetry is a bit hard on my eyes and says nothing to my soul, but he is an example of a rule breaker. He is also a great example of those who write from a perspective of the common man. He was one of the first to insist on leaving references to himself --I-- in lower case when forgoing upper case entirely. He had works that publishers told him could never be published because of their inappropriate content. Yet, here he is, decorating the pages of Oldpoetry with all the others who public opinion considers masters of the art.
He is one of the reasons, I no longer use the words --cliche-- or --trite-- in a comment. I may point out a less common way to express something, but those two words are incredibly overused by those who claim creative genius. If I am so darn creative, then I should be able to come up with something that I did not learn to mimic from my eighth grade english teacher. In my opinion, people often throw around words like this to sound smarter than the average bear. Sounding smart doesn't make one more intelligent any more than being intelligent makes one creative.
Of course, it is perfectly appropriate for someone to --just not like-- something. It is not a requirement in my book that you like what I write, my opinions, or my topic. In turn, I don't have to like yours in order to appreciate your creativity. I believe that we put little tiny bits of ourselves in each piece we write. I can appreciate that. I can make suggestions from my own point of view, but that is about all I have to give. I give those suggestions or I simply give my reaction to your work because I respect people who do the same for me. Ripping a persons work to shreds or referring to all poets who don't write what I like as less than desirable poets does not help me or them.
That being said, I do appreciate honest critique. I am not owned by it, but I encourage it. Tell me you love it. Tell me you hate it. Tell me why. Offer suggestions if you have them or simply tell me what you experience when reading it. Even if you are not my --intended-- audience, I take all things said into consideration. Your opinions will not dictate who I am as a writer and I will never try to win your approval while sacrificing my own individuality. I will carry the information with me into the future and grow to be the wildflower that I desire to become.
-original-
don't dye my oranges mandarin
in tangerine marshmallow
squish
an orange by any other name
is not a bandanna
to fling me through
the epsom salts bath
of your fraudulent claims
slingshot stones
to break your own reflection
grab the inseam of
your manly pants to
drown you in excruciation
puffed up vernacular
visions of pomp
and pitiful delusions
of greatness
hell bent into shape
stuff the creativity
into a box of bogus
acceptability
amidst the learned and
lame brain bang of
your voice
sacred scream
of cliche
reeks its own trite
and untruth
in paperdoll cutouts
of the elite critique
Wham, bam
thank you ma'am
stuff your pockets
with my cash
and tell me
it's worth a damn because
you say so
you
drip dung and
bendover philosophy
ewe
follow the crowd
of social stigma
cattle prodded into
submission to
satisfactory ideas
weed out the riff raff
leave us with aught
but black or white
and pretend they
are colors of the rainbow
no
don't dye my blues azure
and tell me it's
the fitting hue
berry black
to hack the lack
of imaginations
in proper poets
you might accidentally
prove yourself original
then what will you do?
© Violet Moodswing
I am an original and so are you. Stand up, speak out and be bold. And.....
Don't become someone you hate
in search of
society's approval.
© Violet Moodswing
A wonderful poem written for me by a fellow kitty of Sisterhood of Cats
allpoetry.com/group/4514
Thistle
Thoughts flow from her
Heart into her poetry
In such a way that you can hear it
Sing with such an inner beauty
Today read her poetry and feel the
Love flow from her heart and
Embrace the beauty it holds
Written to me by
Cdn-Leopard
Yet another Author's Page for the archive because a change is gonna come 
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