Writer's Commentary: Change
On Post: Change
Date: January 1, 2013
Why would I start with a poem? That’s a perfectly fair question given my…let’s call it questionable poetic skills.
Sadly, I don’t have a great answer. I think a big part of the why lies with the books I find myself reading everyday as of late. My daughter, Princess Thunderella, is just over a year and a half old now and she is a big fan of being read to. Children’s books often, if you aren’t aware, rhyme. Two of Princess Thunderella’s “favorite” authors, Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, in particular, are masters of rhyming. So with all that kicking around my head, I suppose a poem just made sense to me in the moment. Despite my lack of ability in that area.
That said, I like this effort. Granted, I wrote it so I’m probably just being easy on myself, but… Anyway, it is no great shakes, I realize. It is not beautiful or touching or reframing of our shared humanity. However, I think the language is fun and I enjoyed not being linear in my presentation of ideas— rearranging words, violating English rules to get a rhyme—but doing so in a way that maintains the clarity of what is being said.
Is this trolling? I can never tell. (Picture from politicalhumor.about.com)
Oh, and I suppose I should address whether or not there is anything political here given that “change” has become a charged term in the past five or so years. In a word, no. In several words, I’d being lying if I didn’t say it crossed my mind but the poem is more about human nature’s desire to avoid any and all change, often in spite of the fact that there current situation is lousy enough that they should welcome change. It is that whole “better the devil you know” thing I suppose. So, in summary, not about the current US President so much as all of our fear of change, but it was not as though I didn’t realize it could be applied to the our President.