11 June 2008

Age Of The Shorter Poem (rev)


It must be the trapdoor of age,
the gap between short-term
memory and supposed sage-like
qualities we’re reputed to gain
as we get on in years.

For wont of a name I termed it
The Curse Of Sagacious Brevity,
an affinity for shorter verse as an
inverse of advancing age. Jesus –
don’t let it happen to me!

When a thousand words was tame
writing less suggested a lack of wit.
Now it’s an effect of attention span,
say it in ten words if you want it to
command any blessed interest.

You understand I’m not making
waves or commenting out of the
Kirk – but I observe poets who’ve
written 1000 or more poems fade
short in a dash to the line.

The reason I gauge and opine
is once you’ve reached a certain
age you can’t remember what
you wanted to say beyond
one line at a given time.
© 2 May 2007, I.D. Carswell

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