an abstract portrait

an abstract portrait
hanging in the public hall
changing its colors
to each whose eyes glance its way
and hiding in open sight

[3:43 PM]
It’s funny, after so many years of writing poetry, to see how others take what comes off my pen.

I’m sure a few of you have heard me mention that I also post much of my verse on another site as well, mostly to get additional feedback of a critical nature. I’ve found that over the years, I don’t necessarily trust the opinions of those who are closest to me – as I’ve said before, they have a stake in my happiness and that includes the acceptance of my “weird” poetry.

The last time I was ‘shocked’ at a reaction to my poetry, it was with one of the other pieces I’d posted here and at AllPoetry, ‘nephilim’, which I’d sent to Minagi for her thoughts. Minagi immediately assumed it was something about our relationship and how it’s changed over the years (it wasn’t), and I reminded myself that this is why I tend to put notes if I know what inspired a piece. I rarely get shocked.

Most comments I get, though, at AP are generally with regards to others views to what I’ve written. Anything spiritual off my pen, for instance, is bound to attract a bible-thumper who interjects something about Jesus into it. (Which is only more amusing when it’s something like ‘Yerushalayim’, where I’m interjecting Hebrew and even invoking the Kotel, which would seem to me to be obvious signs that I’m Jewish.) Some of the comments are fluff… and then there are some…

A few nights ago, I posted ‘the light of falling stars’ for my favorites, a little odd ditty about memories, and regrets that come with things changing from how they once were. Nice, bittersweet, not as depressed or dark as I get, but certainly not something I’m going to curl up with to think about happy things. I posted it there as well, since I wanted some feedback – it’s very much a draft and I’m feeling like something’s missing.

Yeah….

Two of the odder ones:

This really magical and romatic to write about here. You chose a great topic to write about. I love to watch shooting stars and making wishes. So I knew I had to read this poem. I enjoyed reading this very much.

Fun and unique viewpoint. Reminds me of Perry Como, singing :”Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day.”

Just… odd… I’ll still never get how folks get something so different than what I was thinking out of something I’ve written….