All cultures have certain references common to them which can sometimes act as a type of shorthand in conveying ideas. This is true of subgroups within the main culture and can sometimes help convey an alternative meaning to that which the words themselves do not. This is why works such as Shakespeare’s plays and the … Continue reading Author’s Intent, Cultural Literacy
Why do I write?
From A Shropshire Lad by A.E. Housman.
The sun goes down, worlds darken...
The single best statement I have ever written about myself.
The sun goes down, worlds darken. Deep within another tainted dream I wander, alone, with just myself as companion. Dusty hallways fade in light. Eerie screams pierce tortured silence, leaving scattered bits of broken dreams, just memories.
When I was a teenager, I had very specific ideas about what constituted poetry, rhyming verses, measured lines, lofty subjects like love and death. Then I read Listen to the Warm by Rod McKuen, and everything changed. I was aware of McKuen's work as a singer and songwriter, having seen him on television in the … Continue reading Listen to the Warm
I feel somehow that I have lived this scene before, taken these measured steps toward the final event of my youth. I don't know when, but once, I'm sure I saw the faces, heard the speeches, heard my name called with the rest. I see them now, together, gold-robed figures walking straight, heads held high. … Continue reading Graduation Night
