Saturday morning thoughts: Poetry as Jazz

Turned on the good ol CBC radio 2 app this morning and had this revelation:

It seems like contemporary poetry is a lot like modern jazz. Half the time when you turn on the radio or open up some journal you get this this overwrought, overthought construction that only musical theorists could love (and you still wonder if they actually do like it - or if they are just trying to impress themselves), and half the time (if you're lucky) you'll get that something smooth and meaningful, that something you'd actually want to settle down with on the couch on a Sunday.

Anyway it, and this ensuing blogpost, inspired this poem:

Saturday Radio Jazz time

Just looking for something

to waste the morning

reading poetry to

and all I get

is five guys

treating their gear

as an arsenal of noise

and running their fingers

madly

up and down

every key in their possession

like they were paid by the note

while I do the same

with the radio dials

just trying to escape

just trying to just find

something

Heartfelt

and Meaningful

not overwrought

or overthought

or overplayed

just something sweet

smooth

and true

like a girl alone

writing poetry in a coffee shop

somewhere

and not

overwrought

or overthought

or overplayed

like too much poetry is

these days.