Poetry

Shoreline
by Earl Bergland

Hypnotic wave do not embrace my toes.
Luck, I am spared a christening event.
The moon's wink hesitated the fad wave's surge.
Why a flick of darkness on my behalf?

Pen pal fourteen is suicide pregnant.
Ruth taunts me to go shop lifting with her.
Smoking and drinking seduced a close friend.
What kind of an old parent will I be?

Where the right path fat moon faint uncertain?
Boastful tides tow skiffs loose of weak moorings.
Once prissy dolls now shoved ashore flailed, lost.
The crying birds glide the voracious sea.

To disappoint loved ones hurts, evermore.
To smudge unspoken loyal goodwill shames.

notes:
In the first stanza the girl wonders why she is spared the sea's embrace. How come she is not caught up in the sea as her friends were? The answer is in the last two lines; it is her relationship with her parents.

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Writing Poetry

Why Poetry? Poems are written by people who are too lazy to write a book. Most people who write poetry would do more good for the world by growing flowers or painting old barns. But we need to have patience because many young poets just need a few years of practicing as do musicians.
What are the three basic requirements for a quality poem?
A. The topic must be very important.
B. The poet must express thoughts with clarity.
C. The poem must create a dramatic impact (create an emotional feeling) in reader.
Is poetry a waste of time? That is a tough question. We can wonder the same thing about fishing or watching a football game. A poem provides the poet with a means of expressing ideas and feelings by a very personal means. Playing basket ball or cooking is also a means of personal expression.
What kind of an attitude should we have about reading poetry? Imagine sitting in a park on a spring day listening to your friend discuss ideas with you. Poets love waterfalls and country fried chicken.