Poetry Kicks Ass

       “Poetry Kicks Ass”. Yes. Yes it does.
       That very phrase may sound contradictory, even absurd. Fine. For it underscores precisely the inherent vernacular dichotomy I propose.
       Poetry Kicks Ass because it has the potential to be extremely powerful while also being extremely concise. Like a helmet to helmet hit from a free safety, teeing up from zone coverage, on a slot receiver coming across the middle. Just like that devastating collision on a football field, poetry can send a game changing message very quickly, and with a force of communication far greater than you may realize.
       To all of you lovers out there, if you aren’t writing poems to each other, you’re like a defense that never blitzes. You’re just not taking enough chances. You’re just not risking enough of yourselves. You’re just not being vulnerable enough. And you’re letting opportunities pass you by.
       And here’s the killer: Anybody can write poetry. Because there aren’t any rules. Despite what you may have learned in high school, poems don’t have to rhyme. They don’t have to be grammatically correct. They don’t have to be spell checked. You can make up your own words. Poems don’t even have to make sense, at least not in strictly literal terms. As the poet, you have absolute freedom to say whatever you want, however you want to. And still have the potential to communicate effectively. How fuckin’ cool is that?
       As men, we must confront the fact that just writing poetry, even if nobody on earth ever reads it, carries a stigma so strong that it prevents most from simply writing down potentially poetic material. I’m not even talking about actually organizing and forming ideas into poetry. I’m talking about just writing stuff down.
       Both sexes must also confront the belief that only “poets” can write “poetry”. That goes hand in hand with the belief that many people believe that they are just not creative enough to write poetry. Or not creative, period.
       We are all creative. And we can all channel that creativity into some sort of poetry. Try this on for s moment....
       Remember when Rocky wrote Adrianne a poem in Rocky 2 ? Here’s this fighter, a person not at all thought of as creative; a guy who makes his living punching the snot out of other guys; and he wrote a poem. It was a simple poem. Because Rocky was a simple man. But it was.....FROM....HIS....HEART. And that is the whole point. The only point. So his message was conveyed with devastating effectiveness. Just like his left hook. Because it came from deep inside of him.
       I know it’s just a movie, but this is a great example of art imitating life. If Rocky can write a poem and make it move his lover, then so can you.
       Maybe writing poetry is about as important to you as blowing your nose. But I challenge you to accept the possibility that writing poetry can improve your relationship with your lover; that poetry can enhance communication between people who love each other; that poetry can stir up wondrous creative energies in you that have been latent, and make you feel more alive; and I maintain that poetry will steam things up in the bedroom. And even the best relationships can benefit from more of all that.
       In my next Poetry Kicks Ass post, I’ll help you write poetry. I’ll tell you what works for me. And I’ll give very practical, concrete advice on how to create poetry that will sing from your heart and touch the heart of your lover.