reading a poem

i think you might agree with me here -- read a poem under the wrong conditions, and it's just a turn-off.

i'm not sure about you, but the only times i really enjoy reading poetry is when i'm completely focused on it (forget multi-tasking), and expect nothing of the poem itself. that way, i can really read line by line and eventually come out of it understanding or feeling something. of course there's never a guarantee you will get anything out of a poem, but when you do, it feels a little like meeting your best friend for the first time. it's really grounding, really gives you a sense of belonging.

one of my favorite places to read poetry is at peet's coffee, where all the rumblings and classical music make the poem seem like a part of the world. total silence also works -- it depends on my mood. i've learned to take one poem at a time, and never try to read a whole book in a sitting. i can't make myself read poems that i don't respect or language that feels wrong. but when i find a writer's voice that i really love, i can sit down an read 48+ pages in a sitting...no problem. and when that happens, it's really exciting!

which brings me to my writer's crush on the poet mark ford. (don't tell my husband; i don't think he ever reads my blog! ha!) he's the only british person, place or thing that i've liked in a long time. click here to read one of his poems. hopefully i'll get you started on a mad crush, too.

what i love about his work: he takes me by surprise, and always choses the unique path in his word choice. he's humble about his cleverness, and doesn't abuse it. the meanings of words and metaphors are layered, so a bodega is also a woman's pregnant belly and a state of mind. (wow!) it's really difficult to do this kind of writing well. his adjectives are dark, and sometimes sort of gothic -- "wax-like drops and pools," "webby darkness" -- which suits his subject matter...the birth experience that haunts the narrator. 

to read a good poem feels like you're getting closer to someone else, when you're actually just closer to yourself.

*thanks to nytimes.com writer david orr for his recent article "oprah's magazine adventures into poetry", which inspired this post. it's funny, and got me thinking!