So I'm reading this Bill Moyers book about this bi-annual poetry festival in New Jersey. It's mostly the poetry from the festival, and comments from the poets, with a very few but well put questions from Bill (he's good at good questions!). Shortly after I started it I thought I'd come up with a real good, concise definition of poetry: Language that expresses and evokes emotion. Now that I'm further into it I still think that definition accurate, but woefully inadequate. One of the poets said, by way of explanation, that today even if the listener does not identify with the poem or the poet, they expect that they are going to hear honesty. Honest expression of how the poet really feels and what they really think. He mentioned as background to this, his thoughts that many people feel intimidated by language because it is so often used manipulatively. He explained this and I thought, "yeah… The honesty is what I really like about poetry!" The form allows the utter abandoning of modesty, as poetry is introspective, followed by the exercise of the full extent of language to say how it really is. And it's also an attempt to express in words what really cannot be expressed in words… Language often seems to fall short, but the poet strives to communicate the idea/feeling/truth anyway. In spite of the shortcomings of words.
But more than just painting emotional mental pictures, I see now poetry is also a vehicle for wisdom. I think I love wisdom, as I love the ring of truth. I think this may be why Buddhism has such a hold on me. I see now how the Tao Te Ching and the Dhammapada are without question poetry, in addition to the great vehicles for wisdom they are.
But like any painting that departs even in the slightest from a straight-up portrait of the Marquis or the General, the emotion or meaning the artist intended to convey may be lost. The more abstract, the more likely. Even so, the listener or viewer gets something out of it. Even if completely not what the artist or poet intended, the viewer or listener gets something, perhaps partially or entirely from what they put into it, from their own interpretation. So "what does the painting mean" or "am I feeling from this poem what the poet intended", are stupid rational questions that miss the point. We get so hung up on those questions when we try to analyze them rationally. Look at the painting and listen to the poem and ask instead, "Does this do anything for me?" Abandon analysis and pay attention to how it makes you feel!
I've also learned over the past year that to love rational thought, reason and logic, to the zealous exclusion of all other "irrational" modes of mental activity, is to be trapped. To keep yourself in a box. I mean, why limit the things you can do with your mind?? Don't get me wrong, I love reason and rational thought, but I also love to dream, to listen to my subconscious, to meditate, and to feel. To just feel what it's like to be human. I've been reconnecting with all of this recently (thanks to the Dharma, and thanks to reconnecting with my creativity) and it is exhilarating! The fact that mental activity that is not rational reasoning will not help you understand hard reality in the light of day, is no reason to abandon these things. The value of these other things you can do with your brain is in understanding yourself and in knowing what it means to be a human being!
Take meditating on the breath for example. You sit quietly and focus your full attention on your breathing. Or try to keep focused on that anyway! Pay attention to how breathing feels. You can focus on how your breath feels in your nose, in your throat, in any part of your lungs, how it smells, or any other area of sensation you feel that is caused by your breathing. In addition to being very relaxing, you realize what it really feels like just to be a creature that breathes! You come to an intimate knowing of this. It's great!! And it feels great! It really is kind of addictive! Just breathing!
Buddhism is a whole entire world you can get into and explore forever.
Jazz is a whole entire world you can get into and explore forever.
Ancient Rome is a whole entire world you can get into and explore forever.
Paleontology is a whole entire world you can get into and explore forever.
Your own mind is a whole entire world you can get into and explore forever.
Poetry is a whole entire world you can get into and explore forever.
And I am sure now that there are many, many more entire worlds.
Oh the many things that can fascinate you, as long as you can be fascinated!
How's that then?