Who
can tell what makes the finger tremble
or
if the fault’s partly in the shutter -
the
eyes mist over when the heart is full
and
daylight seems to fumble and flutter;
how
will you know what exact part is played,
how
much of which and what’s responsible
and
where the share of credit must be laid
for
the error, if something’s erred at all.
It’s
plain enough that the takes are blurry,
how
will you know which of the lenses fogged?
Was
the tremor in awe? - or for worry
that
it’s all too vast to be catalogued.
Is
there room for poetry to be blurred?
to
accept neither hand nor lens has erred.
Continuing my theme from the last post - meta-poetry mixed up with archiving and photography...Have a restful Sunday and a wonderful week!
Given that my eyes get a bit misty (blurred) when I am particularly moved, I believe that there is certainly room for poetry to be blurred. Blurred and not erred.
ReplyDeleteI probably reside in perma-mist zone so accuracy of archiving is strongly suspect...thank goodness there's room for blurred :-)
DeleteOur memories are often blurry.
ReplyDeleteOlder memories are less blurry, newer memories more so...strange but true
Deletesometimes a mist or fog cuts the sharp edges, allows a stretch in all directions. Leaves interpretations open.
ReplyDeleteI like a bit of ambiguity in everything :)
DeleteHi Nila - so often blur affects our memories - yet they are strong and are ours. Great to see you interpreting your archival mind with the recorded images - yet reaching out in verse to retain the memories ... you open doors for us - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary! you just reminded me of a poem by Irene Rutherford called Is love then so simple...
DeleteWow! That was really cool. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it...thanks for stopping by.
DeleteAm I reading too much into this poem if I say that I see the whole subject of photography as a metaphor for how someone lives his or her life? I usually hate it when people insert too much of their own thoughts or attitudes into their understanding of a poem or story. But then again, I know some -- most? -- writers love it whenever they've inspired someone to actually think for a change.
ReplyDeleteUm..in my personal view no-one can read too much into a poem. And of course photography is a metaphor for life, and a very comprehensive one at that. So is poetry - if your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash ~ Leonard Cohen.
DeleteAnd hate it or love it, everyone reads a poem from their personal perspectives, not the poet's. Reading anything is a BYO-Attitude party anyways! As a reader, of course I'll bring my own unique POV to the interpretation, how can it be otherwise?
As a writer, once I put the story/poem out, that's it - whoever reads it will interpret it the way they want and take what they want from it and they should feel free to do so, else it's a poor bargain for the reader. The writer shouldn't be forcing her own interpretation on everyone, not much fun for the readers that!!
Btw, that's why I don't get into the reasons/backstories/meanings here. My job is to write, the readers' job is to read and enjoy interpreting whichever way they feel like. Not my prerogative to interfere in that process, don't think it's my place to look inside their heads, if you know what I mean :) If a reader invites me in, that's different. That's a huge privilege and I wish to be completely mindful of my boundaries, not go around rearranging the furniture!
I think I've exceeded the legal word limit for a comment now...so...Thank you for BYOA here! :-)
Boy, am I disappointed. I was hoping you'd reply with a comment that had a little bit of thought behind it, but no... YES, of COURSE I'm kidding! You've obviously considered this subject at length, and you've stated your views very well.
DeleteI would completely agree that once a story or poem is put "out there," it's open to all sorts of interpretations, which is a good thing that's inevitable anyway.
The only time I dislike someone's reaction is when they assume the story or poem is all about me. That especially goes for when the main character is a less than savory individual.
I once wrote a poem about a suicide, and some readers thought it meant that I was suicidal.
I wrote a poem from the point of view of a murderer. Needless to say (I hope!), I never killed anyone.
And I wrote "The Player," a story about a college student whose hobby was figuratively putting notches on his bedpost, and who had all sorts of "lines" if one of his conquests became pregnant. And of course, someone asked "Is that supposed to be you?" I didn't dare reply with the very first words that came to my mind!
Ya, I completely get what you mean. I'm vaguely annoyed too when readers assume every poem to be the autobiography of the poet! Have to confess I get it more often in poetry than in fiction though. I've had to spell it out for people several times :)
Deletehttp://nilabose.blogspot.com/2016/04/t-is-for-totaled.html
Your poem truly resonated with me. I'm struggling with a lot of mixed emotions right now after the death of a loved one and I feel like I can't tell which memories are true, which are blurred and which ones are shaded in the light most favorable.In the end it doesn't matter, the memories are mine and I'll pass along only good memories to my kids, but your poem tugged at my heart. You're a talented writer and I enjoyed your visceral poem
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss. And so moved that you stopped by here and shared your feedback.
DeleteInteresting correlation. I guess a bit of poetic blur can be good. It keeps the readers thinking and looking at a topic in different ways. Like the slight blur or haziness of a artsy photo, a poem's message might change on the mood of the reader or the time or whatever influence is being exerted at any particular time.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Exactly, a bit of ambiguity gives readers the freedom to extrapolate however it suits them. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteThis is such a beautiful poem. Capturing life's memories like photography...wow!
ReplyDeleteMemories bight be blurry, but your words have laid them out so vividly.
Blogrolling you. All the best for the A-to-Z Challenge.
Cheers,
CRD
Scripted In Sanity
All the very best to you too, glad you enjoyed the poetry...thanks for stopping by!
Delete