Poet Poet

                                                      
                                                     
 Precipitated by a technical hold at PF's Harriet,
Linh Dinh's ninth post exists in three places:    
here (where there are 10 comments) here here        
                                                      
The second comment at the second site supports        
(more vividly) a part of my comment at the first
site.  However, the comments at each site should
be read.  Also, Aaron McCollough's provocative:           
"Self-Consuming Artifacts ... towards an unquiet   
metaphysics"--which Ron Silliman provided a link
to--references and discusses Linh Dinh's post.
                                                        
Although bickerings over aesthetics are not       
without value, I prefer to observe and learn
from them.  That may change.  There appears to     
be a growing group of poets moving towards the
metaphysical, towards a positive metaphysics,
which is where--even when most down--I have    
always been.  Still, I usually am not a beat-the-
drum type.  I am too variegated.  Questions
ever haunt me.  As I once wrote: Uncertainty   
is my milieu.  That is why I often compare my
being to air.                                    
                                                       
I am posting this but it is still in draft.
                                                
Aaron McCollough has added a second post on
the topic of an "unquiet metaphysics".  As a
way in he reveals some childhood facts.  It
happens that mine are similar to his; so I am
going to reveal some of mine.  I was raised
as a Roman Catholic in Wisconsin in the 1940's
and 1950's.  Love of neighbor (and enemy) are
also important to me.  He cites a passage from
the Bible which imprinted itself in his mind.
One which has imprinted itself in my mind is
from the prayer to God the Father which Jesus
taught his disciples: . . . and forgive us our 
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us.  Several years back I began to   
understand this passage in a way I had not   
so clearly understood it, and it was all due 
to the "as" in it.  What is being said here is  
that God the Father only needs to forgive us
our tresspasses to the extent that we are   
willing to forgive the tresspasses of others
against us.  Sadly, for me it is easier to   
do that than it is for me to forgive myself. 
                                                   
                                                     
                                                    
                                                
~                                                        ~
                        
Rho00055