It seems to me a risky thing
that those perspicacious enough to probe the world
would direct themselves so quickly
within a field of deep abstraction
studying the shallowness of their fellow men.
No, not quite, what they sought was perhaps some truth
but really, if you have not realized
at the onset of social awareness
that you are aware of things much quicker
and see the solution before others have even identified
the questions
well, you are being much too modest
and put yourself at great jeopardy
for being disappointed
Let us look at what is achievable
and consider what you seek to achieve
the emptiness in critique
of others who attempt their hand at a craft of explaining
… here I refer to literary reviews. — specifically
David Foster Wallace’s depressingly precise listicle “The Best of the Prose Poem”
(This is the voice in my head speaking to him.): “What did you really expect to find?”
He said :
“Total # of anthology’s 204 prose poems that are good/alive/powerful/interesting enough to persist in reader’s mind more than 60 seconds after completion: 31.”
You would excuse me if this is the calculation that runs through my mind.
When someone the other day asked if I read poetry regularly.
I think – I’d like to think
that in the begining there is a choice
we choose our inclination
but you must imagine the future.
Well it is rather too late for him
but every time I think of his case
part of me is angry
(anger is the externalizing side of sadness. I find it slightly more useful. I prefer it.)
the other part is buried.
depressingly precise
despairingly accurate
the propensity to hold several items in mind at the same time
and to narrate it for our 2-dimensional mediums.
It seems to me a risky thing
that those perspicacious enough to probe the world
would direct themselves so quickly
within a field of deep abstraction
studying the shallowness of their fellow men.
Grace En-Tien Chang 