My Twentieth Year - 1. a wish to know

Oh AC these are both terrific. Your old works are a history of your writing, of your growth as a writer, we can see you learn. It's a beautiful thing.
The first poem, to me sees to be a poet frustrated, telling us, and maybe angry that he cannot find the right words, maybe a little hard on himself. But at the same time, knowing he needs to work to get what he wants, but maybe he's lacking the know how or ambition.
Down the way, in the second poem is desire, want, the man of dreams. A quiet, shy guy? But what of the poet? Why not say hello, lets get a coffee? Both of you too alike, maybe and so pass like ships in the night?
Both of these were wonderful AC.
Hope you're going share more of your older work.
tim

Thanks for opening your "vault" again, AC.

The feelings of inadequacy in the first one I only recognize too well. Whether laziness is to blame remains to be seen. Lazyness can easily be dealt with. Shyness is something else altogether.

My first reaction to the second poem, seen with mature eyes, was the same as tim's.
Why not just knock on his door and invite him for a cup of coffee. But it isn't that simple, is it? When you think of yourself the way you do in the first poem, reaching out isn't easy at all. What if he thinks ... you name it. Any excuse to stay at a safe distance.

Two wonderful poems. They hit me close to home. Thanks again.

On 01/10/2016 05:51 PM, Mikiesboy said:

Oh AC these are both terrific. Your old works are a history of your writing, of your growth as a writer, we can see you learn. It's a beautiful thing.

The first poem, to me sees to be a poet frustrated, telling us, and maybe angry that he cannot find the right words, maybe a little hard on himself. But at the same time, knowing he needs to work to get what he wants, but maybe he's lacking the know how or ambition.

Down the way, in the second poem is desire, want, the man of dreams. A quiet, shy guy? But what of the poet? Why not say hello, lets get a coffee? Both of you too alike, maybe and so pass like ships in the night?

Both of these were wonderful AC.

Hope you're going share more of your older work.

tim

Thank you, Tim. I am typing my little heart out, and have made it to June of that year. Truth is, I probably wrote more poetry during those 12 months than any time before or since. I think a lot of the material constitutes 'practice,' but in context, most of it seems to tell a story of me at that period of my life.

Thanks for your support and comments. I appreciate all of them!

On 01/11/2016 03:24 AM, J.HunterDunn said:

Thanks for opening your "vault" again, AC.

 

The feelings of inadequacy in the first one I only recognize too well. Whether laziness is to blame remains to be seen. Lazyness can easily be dealt with. Shyness is something else altogether.

 

My first reaction to the second poem, seen with mature eyes, was the same as tim's.

Why not just knock on his door and invite him for a cup of coffee. But it isn't that simple, is it? When you think of yourself the way you do in the first poem, reaching out isn't easy at all. What if he thinks ... you name it. Any excuse to stay at a safe distance.

 

Two wonderful poems. They hit me close to home. Thanks again.

You seem to hone in the most difficult word for me. I was tempted to edit out 'lazy,' but kept it. It was among my father's most favored terms to use about me, so…using it was a personal affront to my spirit when I wrote the poem. It was just as upsetting to uncover amongst the papers of the 'vault,' but so it goes.

Thank you for your support and comments, Peter. It means the world to me.

Interesting look backwards, AC... I remember being twenty... and thirty... and... well, looking backwards can be a good thing, seen in a different light... cheers... Gary...

On 01/11/2016 12:35 PM, Headstall said:

Interesting look backwards, AC... I remember being twenty... and thirty... and... well, looking backwards can be a good thing, seen in a different light... cheers... Gary...

Thank you for the review, Gary. It's more of a challenge for me to 'process' these now than they probably were for me to write all those years ago. They are raising mixed feelings, to be sure.

Thanks again!

See, AC, even when you were twenty you were a genius with words!

Wonderful poems. I especially like the second one because I can relate so well to it.

On 01/12/2016 12:36 PM, Lisa said:

See, AC, even when you were twenty you were a genius with words!

 

Wonderful poems. I especially like the second one because I can relate so well to it.

Thanks for your kind support, Lisa. You too had a hottie lvin' two doors down...?

AC - I am especially mindful of your second poem. It touches a nerve for me, for it expresses so much of what I felt at that age, and still feel from time to time. The desire to know and be known by somebody new and mysteriously attractive can never be fully explained, nor wholly understood. But you paint it beautifully.

On 01/19/2016 09:18 AM, Parker Owens said:

AC - I am especially mindful of your second poem. It touches a nerve for me, for it expresses so much of what I felt at that age, and still feel from time to time. The desire to know and be known by somebody new and mysteriously attractive can never be fully explained, nor wholly understood. But you paint it beautifully.

Thank you, Parker. This is a beautiful review, and it touches me deeply. Cold it be true that we all have our own Boy Two Doors Down…?

Thanks again.