Open form poetry

almost all of my poetry is written in the "open form". early influences included e.e. cummings and walt whitman. more recent influences include paul zimmer and yannis ritsos.

the "confessional poets" of the late 40's and 50's were important in the way i present my poetry - poets as paul duncan and charles olson come to mind - though they are hardly the only important figures, merely the ones i can think of at the moment, which during a night shift rotation is amazing i can think of anything. the fact i am updating this blog on night shift is one of the minor miracles.

my longer poems, which i have not chosen to put here yet, use a form i call "montage" - snippets of images, emotions and philosophy mixed and woven around a central theme - in hopes of creating something larger than the individual pieces, just as a montage picture works. someday i will have to get some of them typed and entered into this blog, but don't hold your breath waiting.



this poem is from The Fatman In The Mirror (my second book) (c) 1997 Pygmy Forest Books


THE FATMAN SITS IN THE BATHROOM

the fatman sits in the bathroom
editing another letter he will not send,
carefully writing words he had hoped
would bring smiles to your cheeks.

he gambles with loaded dice,
choosing to ignore his losses.
he is convinced it does not matter.
he is strong in the desperation of love.

the fatman looks in the mirror
but does not see himself,
rather jesus before the first miracle,
pondering his own potential.