For Good Relationships with Yourself
You can write bad poetry, can you not? Why do so? Here are three reasons:
1. If you think it doesn’t have to rhyme or be any good, you will write a poem each time you are struck by awe, struck in the gut, struck in the heart for good or bad.
2. If you write some, you will read one of mine. (below) Then you will start a heartfelt relationship with me.
3. You will soon afterward discover what is really important to you in all your relationships.
Many people assume that poetry is hard to understand or boring. Some academic poems are boring because they are simply showing off erudition. But poems about momentous or weird little experiences that strike the poet are wonderful to hear. Some are better than monologues from well known stand-up comics.
Poetry likes a strong feeling and the courage to express it with the power of that feeling. No holding back. Flat out condensation of the moment.
When you write bad poetry you feel gloriously alive. You improve all your relationships.
Eventually, you may re-write and turn your poems into some really good stuff.
Poetry won’t make you money, but it will make you rich. Here’s one of mine that set me free. See if you can tell how it set me free. If you have any questions, write to me. evycole@hughes.net
CRAVINGS by Evelyn Cole
I want to put out bowls of candy/to welcome every guest/ all kinds of sweets/ dripping with decadence
to offer red wine with legs/ stuffed grape leaves, Retsina, Italian prawns/carrot flan, Incan fire dip
and succulent salads /chilled ready to serve/ spinach, asparagus, pistachios /all fresh aphrodisiacs
marinated meats/ ready to grill to any taste/ from rare to rubber/ spiced tofu for some
a full shelf of pies I’ve just baked /with perfect crusts /Tiramisu and mocha mousse too /and apricot clafoutis
I have a craving for candy I don’t eat/a passion for cooking concoctions others won’t touch/ a yearning for money to give it away/
Why?
A craving to please /to ease
Why? A craving to give /to live?
Ah, Do I need to put out /or die?
~~~
That last stanza took me by surprise.
Here is what the former U.S. poet laureate, Stanley Kunitz, says about poetry. It’s wild and wonderful.
Saturated with Impulse Stanley Kuntiz from “The Braid”
“So much of the creative life has its source in the erotic. The first impulse is strongly erotic, but then one becomes reflective–a philosophic human being, an explorer–and then as one grows older and older there’s a need to renew that energy associated with erotic impulse.
“A poet without a strong libido almost inevitably belongs to the weaker category; such a poet can carry off a technical effect with a degree of flourish, but the poem does not embody the dominant emotive element in the life process. The poem has to be saturated with impulse and that means getting down to the very tissue of experience. How can this element be absent from poetry without thinning out the poem?
“That is certainly one of the problems when making a poem is thought to be a rational production. The dominance of reason, as in eighteenth-century poetry, diminished the power of poetry.
“Reason certainly has a place, but it cannot be dominant. Feeling is far more important in the making of the poem. And the language itself has to be a sensuous instrument; it cannot be a completely rational one. In rhythm and sound, for example, language has the capacity to transcend reason; it’s all like erotic play.
“That’s the nature of aesthetic impulse, aesthetic receptivity. Whether you’re walking through the garden or reading a poem, there’s a sense of fulfillment. You’ve gone through a complete chain of experience, changing and communicating with each step and with each line so that you are linked with the phenomenon of time itself. The erotic impulse is so basic to human experience that we can never be free from it, even in old age.”
So, dear reader, go forth and write poetry.
Copyright 2006 Cole’s Poetic License
© Evelyn Cole, MA, MFA, The Whole-mind Writer
http://www.write-for-wealth.com
evycole@hughes.net
Cole’s chief aim in life is to convince everyone to understand the power of the subconscious mind and synchronize it with goals of the conscious mind.
Grooming Man’s Best friend
Proper grooming for your dog does not only have aesthetic
purposes but also adds to your pet’s holistic growth - physical
and psychological. Since dog hair can interlace due to dirt and
grime in the coat forming mats and tangles, they would need to
be groomed to keep proper hygiene. Plus grooming generates more
bonding time with your pet, creating a stronger relationship.
It is best to train your dog to be groomed at an early age. But,
an untrained dog can still be taught to accept all the
attention. Train your pet to get used to his body parts being
handled and brushed. You need not go to a professional groomer,
but if you don’t have the time or the interest to groom your
dog, be sure to select a groomer that handles the animals gently.
Things to Remember in Grooming your Dog
Make a daily examination of your pet’s body parts. Look out for
bumps, hot spots, inflammation, irritation, vegetative matter,
and parasites like fleas and ticks in his coat. Get rid of fleas
by using a fine-toothed comb while ticks can be tweezed off.
Ears should be checked - droop ears are inclined to infection
which can lead to permanent hearing loss. Examine your
companion’s pads - dirt, grime, pebbles, chemicals can get
caught that can infect his paws.
Brushing doesn’t only remove mats, it also takes away dead hair,
thus eliminating animal odor. Tangles can also be very painful
for your dog that may lead to skin inflammation. Grooming during
shedding encourages growth of new coat, so brush especially
after physical exercise.
Nails should be trimmed every month, especially if your dog has
a hard time walking. Dental hygiene is maintained by using dog
toothpaste and toothbrush with soft bristles twice a week. A
damp cotton cloth is used to remove mucus from your dog’s eyes
and a coarse rag is appropriate in cleaning your pet’s face.
When bathing your pet, make sure that you brush away dead hairs
first to clear all the mats in his coat. Soak your pet in warm
water. Apply a pet shampoo in small amounts. Target areas are
the eyes, ears, rectum, toes and under the chin. Avoid getting
soapy water in his eyes and ears. You also have an option to
apply coat conditioner after bathing. Different breeds require
varying bath frequency; consult the local pet grooming shop if
you’re not sure how many times you should bath your dog.
It is recommended that a dog owner has his own home grooming
kit. A good kit includes a grooming brush, clippers for dog
toenails, combs with varying teeth (fine, medium coarse), dog
shampoo, coat conditioner, and a coarse rag.
A secured debt is a debt in which the creditor maintains a security interest in an item or piece of personal property such as a house or an automobile. With secured debts, if you fall behind on payments, the lender can repossess the property that originally secured the debt. An additional drawback to secured debt is the fact that you may remain liable for the deficiency balance owing on the debt after your property has been repossessed and sold.
However, the laws regarding home mortgages vary from state to state. This means that a lender’s debt recovery rights will depend on the terms of your mortgage and whether any other lenders also have an interest in the property.
Unsecured debt is debt in which you borrow from a creditor to obtain goods or services on credit in exchange for your promise to repay the debt. The primary difference between secured and unsecured debt is that unsecured debt is not collateralized by personal property.
Unsecured debt is commonly given in the form of credit card debt, commercial debt, medical debt, and personal loans. If you fall behind on an unsecured debt, lenders can take legal action against you, but more commonly will try to work out a reasonable debt settlement. It is possible for a secured debt to become an unsecured debt when the property that is securing the loan has already been repossessed and sold by the creditor.
Traditionally, if the sale of the property does not cover the full amount of the debt, it will result in a deficiency balance which is still the responsibility of the consumer. This deficiency balance is now considered an unsecured debt because no property is securing it. In many cases, this balance can be successfully resolved through a debt settlement program.
Alan Barnes
IAPDA Certified Debt Arbitrator and
President and CEO of Debt Regret
http://www.debtregret.com