Learning To Appreciate Poetry On A New Level

I recently went to a poetry reading/meeting group at Landmark Booksellers, a local independent bookstore. (www.landmarkbooksellers.com). It was not my idea. I was more or less dragged by a family member who is an enthusiast. Like many writers, I've never cared much for poetry. Possibly unlike other writers, this is partly because I am not clever enough to appreciate this form of writing.
     I have been exposed to a good deal of poetry during my life, as a student and as a writer, and I've never been really impressed with it. The poetry I most like is the Shel Silverstein type and I am very fond of the books Love That Dog and Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech. Silverstein and Creech both write for children - I'm sure that says something about me - but they are both amazingly talented writers. Being able to write for children is a gift I do appreciate.
     Because of a freakish citywide blackout just before our arrival, this poetry reading was done it total darkness with several couches and chairs around a coffee table holding one large candle. Landmark is in a historic building, so even in broad daylight the atmosphere is great. This night it was awesome. The routine of the group was to go around the group two times and every person read a poem, one of their own creation or on from a favorite collection - in this case while passing around a small flashlight or using cell phones to illuminate pages.
    This collection of poets was almost as varied as the writers at LWC. LWC membership ages range from nineteen to ninety, at all levels of experience and most everyone focuses on a different kind of writing. This group was similar. There were fifteen people ranging from college-age to past retirement, and while they all wrote poetry, the types of poems and skill levels of the writers varied widely.
     They were a casual group, but I was both intimidated and inspired their talent. LWC creative writing nights focus on many different aspects of the craft and occasionally the focus is poetry. Almost none of us are serious, accomplished poets, so the group at Landmark was something I'd never experienced.
     I'm often impressed by other writers ability to use and create imagery. I am hopeless at even simple description and frequently fail to include it at all in my stories and books. But I love the way many writers can use words and phrases to show something I've seen, felt or heard, that I could never depict in any way.
     I believe poets generally excel at this. Haikus are amazing to me. How can anyone capture an entire scene, situation, emotion, story - sometimes all of these things and more - in three lines and so few words? Two of the members of the Landmark group shared fabulous haikus. Two others read lengthy works that were the equivalent of short stories, but in true poetry form. The one I found most stunning was a sestina, a type of poem that has rules for using several select words repeatedly in certain places in the poem. It told a facinating literary-type story while seamlessly following the complicated structure of a sestina.
     As I mentioned, this was an experience with poetry that I've never had before and I am so glad I was introduced to it. I plan to regularly attend this group and hope that I can learn ways to improve my own writing from these inspiring and talented individuals.

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