Because we all want to write more poems.
Advice
He stared, level-eyed, at the other
“You have to do it for yourself, whatever it is,” he said to him.
“There is no one to please but yourself.
When you find you’ve been doing it for anyone else,
you’ve stepped off the path.”
Then he turned and moved away.
My image remained behind in the mirror
to consider my words.
- Benjamin Gorman's Shared Poems
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Benjamin Gorman
January 8, 2012
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Stephen Crane
I was browsing the humanities library at UCSD many and many a year ago, when I happened upon a set of volumes of Stephen Crane. Never hear of him, so I opened one up and read a few pieces. One struck me and has stayed with me since:
I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never—"
"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.
This poem is almost emblematic of the way I live my life (not meant in a complimentary way), so it's hard to forget. As I set out to write "Advice" I soon thought of Mr. Crane and his volumes of brief, pithy works like "I saw a man." I wanted to match that pithiness. The gimmick of it was an unlooked-for bonus of which I'm not entirely proud.
Neil McKay
January 8, 2012
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I really really like the idea
I really really like the idea of that last line "My image remained behind in the mirror
to consider my words."
Jennifer Dixey
January 8, 2012
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Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage, which I imagine you read in high school. Wasn't it compulsory? But I didn't realize he was a poet! I really like the poem you posted and I will seek out some more of his work.