Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson
My poetry experiences first came from the great Australian poet …
My poetry experiences first came from the great Australian poet Banjo Patterson…
I must have been five or six and I was amazed at the stories that jumped from those pages. They were about Australia and our land…
My love of poetry fell off after that. The poetry that was coming out, or the poetry that I was made to read at school, had no soul and the teachers always made me dissect the words and come up with my interpretation. The whole thing was boring. That probably sums up school anyway!
Poetry should be just that. Poetry. Nothing to dissect or hover over, and if you don’t like it, don’t read it.
I have met poets who talk for hours about their words but for me a poem must be to the point, and it must be authentically yours. It is a vehicle for your thoughts and expression and it is completely free of ego. It definitely must come from ones own thoughts and experiences.
Charles Bukowski smoking… (Source)
The poet that I credit for giving me the ability to be myself was Charles Bukowski. I don’t write like him, but I can write with the same honesty that he does. I respect this man for his integrity in putting down his words and also the life he lived that gave him his words.
If you have read my poems you will find many things: Love, fear, broken dreams and prayers. I think you will also find courage, humour and my spirit. I never wanted to publish any of these poems as they were very close to the bone. I have read them in various places and have gotten many comments. I didn’t understand why people asked me questions about their content, but I soon realized they were very different to other people’s words.
The last poem in my book explains my poetry.
I don’t try to write like any other.
My poems may touch you in some way.
My words may align with your journey or your past.
They are, I can assure you, authentic and from my life.
John.
