Critical Poetry—Dan Sklar (Beverly, MA)                                        For more highly critical verse, see Critical Poems.    
 

Whitman said forget the words of my poems, it is the drift that matters. To me good poems are truthful and honest and rebellious. Saroyan said a writer is a rebel who never stops. I don’t know why I’m quoting these authors, but they come to mind. We [Endicott Review] are also open to all subject matter. In my freshman classes, I use Bukowski, so I’m sort of a rebel, which reminds me of another thing Whitman said, “Be radical, be radical, but not too damn radical.” In my creative writing classes, I use poems to inspire students to question everything—but really question things, including me! We look for poems and stories and essays and art work that have a kind of freedom—that hides nothing—like you say about naming names. I’m 53, by the way, and I understand why you asked. I’m always curious about a person’s age—it tells something about them.

Poetry contests have nothing

to do with poetry.

Poetry contests are about

money.

I wonder if Charles Bukowski

ever won any poetry contests.

Poetry contests are about

selling poetry magazines

to all of the losers

and the mothers

of the winners.

I would like to see a poetry

contest that does not want

you to send in poems but

instead some truthful writing

or just the money.

This Is a Poem

The advertisement

 for the Indian casino

 says:

 “In the Mohegan

 language there

 are no words

 for boredom.”

 I add to that:

 “…but there are

 plenty of words

 for sucker.”

 

Too Much Poetry
There is too much poetry
in Poetry Magazine
But it’s a poetry magazine.
So what!
Coleridge said a poem
of any length neither can
be nor ought to be all
poetry.
Ezra Pound said,
take poetry and
make it new and that
all poets want to be
musical hall comedians.
In my case he’s right! 

The actors at the
American Repertory
Theater are too dramatic.
But it’s drama.
So what!
I think there’s too much
acting and believe about
half of it anyway.
 

I don’t believe much in
Poetry Magazine either,
there’s too much craft.
I can tell those poets
are sitting around thinking
we’re poets and writing
poetry and giving
each other awards and grants
and book reviews and saying,
Oh, I’m a poet.
Yes, we’re poets.
 

Too many poets.
Too many actors.
Not enough human beings.
I’m going to cancel
my subscription!
That’ll show ‘em.