A little change that came to me one night as I was reading a poem about

[KaliTracy]

death


Parody of Tract...
william
carlos
williams


I will teach you my townspeople
how to write poetry
for you have it over a troop
of artists --
unless one should scour the world --
you have the ground sense necessary.

See! The pen leads.
I begin with a design of the pen.
For Christ's sake not new --
nor almost dead either -- and not extravagant!
Let it be weathered -- like a quill pen --
light in the hand (this will make
the words rush forth from it)
or perhaps you like a heavy touch:
dragging a stick upon the ground.

No fancy paper Please!
My God -- heavy parchment, my townspeople!
For what purpose? Is it for the words
to look at you and make you feel
accomplished or is it for others
to see what a great accomplishment
you have achieved --
or what?
To show the world your words?
They will be in tighter print soon:
typesetters and ink will spoil your page.
Let there be no fancy paper --
and no calligraphy, phew!
and no letterheads with your
name in script --
my townspeople what are you thinking of?

A dirty scrap of paper
written on by a nicely
worn pen.
On this the words lie
by their own weight.

No flowery phrases please --
especially romantic mumble-jumble.
Some common everyday experience is better,
something that can be altered and received by all:
images -- observations and perceptions within --
God knows what! You realize
how we are about these things
my townspeople--
something will be found -- anything
even if the flowery phrases are there.
So much for the words.

For heaven's sake though, see to the poet!
Take off the tuxedo! In fact
there's no place at all for him --
above his poem unceremoniously
intruding upon his work!
Bring him down -- Bring him down!
Low and inconspicuous! I'd not have him behind
the pen at all -- damn him --
the poem's understrapper!
Let him hold his own
and sit beneath the poem
and inconspicuously too!

Then briefly as to yourselves:
Sink within -- as into a luxury
bubble bath, or if you read then
read it all, completely! Sit openly
in the sun or beneath the trees
and read!
Or do you think a poem must be
contained within the mind?
What -- and lose the senses? We who have
perhaps nothing to lose? Share with us
Share with us --
it will be gold in your hearts.

Experience now.

I think you are ready.



tracy lynn
1987


(Original poem can be found here http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~abatko/interests/poetry/poem.cgi?n=american/wc_williams-tract )

[Droopy]

1. Awesome

I looked at the poem that this is a parody of and I did not know that William Carlos Williams wrote such long poems. Brevity is what I think of when I think of Williams.

I love your advice on how to write a poem. That's just the way it should be and I dig the humor.

[KaliTracy]

3. thanks - yes Williams wrote longer stuff, too -- though

the humor is actually his, I would think (see original) -- I just found different images, that's all. ;)

[EvolvedChimp]

2. Good Stuff

I really liked the

A dirty scrap of paper
written on by a nicely
worn pen.
On this the words lie
by their own weight

verse.

[KaliTracy]

4. thanks..... while williams had a similar line

i did like the way this one turned out.