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More Ars Poetica Poetry

This week I'm sharing another Ars Poetica poem. The term loosely means the art of poetry. 

The resultant poem is essentially a reflection on the writing of poetry. This ancient form goes all the way back to the Roman poet, Horace who first championed the form. These poems involve the writer examining aspects of poetry's purpose, methods and nature. 










Ink In The Heart

 

There is no ink on my body

Not a single tattoo

I carry my ink in my veins

Allowing it to escape through chosen words

Laid down in poems

 

A river of inky thoughts flow forth

Line by line

Trickles and torrents

Across a broad landscape of hungry pages

 

Thought transcribed

Fertile revelations

Pure and heartfelt

Happy, angry and unharnessed

They spill and spread out.

 

This enduring relationship

Reveals to friend and stranger

The strength of an inner call

To which I willingly respond-

Write,

And continue to write

Let the ink flow

Reveal the words of the poem.


Alan j Wright


It is Poetry Friday and our host this week is Janice Scully. Janice is celebrating US Women's History Month and highlighting women poets. She shares her poem about nurses.



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Comments

  1. laurasalas14 March 2025 at 22:48

    Yes! This is wonderful, Alan. I love how you talk about tattoos here too. Nothing wrong with tattoos, but I can imagine some young people reading your poem and thinking about how they can reveal themselves in so many ways, including in poems. Thank you for your trickles and torrents.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright15 March 2025 at 15:06

      Thank you so much for your considered response, Laura. Your thoughts have challenged me to think more broadly.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous14 March 2025 at 23:56

    This is Janice. The use of tattooing as a metaphor for writing poems rings true. The happy, angry, unharnessed can be expressed on any writing surface and your poem reveals this choice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright15 March 2025 at 15:08

      Thank you, Janice. I am reminded how versatile ink can be in creating opportunities to exxpress one's self.

      Delete
  3. Mary Lee15 March 2025 at 22:16

    I love the contrast between ink ON and ink IN. A tattoo is a static statement, but using the ink within us allows for so much more variety of expression! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rose Cappelli15 March 2025 at 23:43

    Such a thoughtful poem, Alan. I love the line: I carry my ink in my veins/
    Allowing it to escape through chosen words.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous16 March 2025 at 05:17

    This is a lovely and thoughtful poem, Alan. I especially love the line "A river of inky thoughts flow forth" because it feels so connected to the heart.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Linda16 March 2025 at 05:18

    I am the anonymous commenter above. : )

    ReplyDelete

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