The light touch of a poet’s pen,
rests easy on the page;
pleasant words that come again,
that do not wilt with age.
Familiar words, in daily use,
that need no explanation;
nothing cryptic, nor obtuse:
the art of observation.
Write the word as simply said,
keep true to its expression;
write the word so easily read,
note its first impression.
. Write simply what the eye saw,
. all else but that ignore.

© Tim Grace, 4 July 2011

To the reader: The casual acquaintance of a pleasant friend leaves a light impression on the surface of a day. The interaction has no agenda and the motive is nothing more than patinated patter: a catch-up, a touch-base; a nice to see you moment. There’s a social art, an etiquette, to keeping a conversation chatty – your own connection with local events and activities is a good guide; a sense of life as it is. Currency is a useful link to liveliness; make good use of days just gone and those about to come.

To the poet: There’ll be times when a scene has no cryptic depth of character; a surface without dimension. Not to say it isn’t an interesting reflection of reality. Still-life, in a visual sense, holds the moment as it is; preserves the present for its own sake. If there’s a technique to writing ‘still-life’ it’s avoid clutter and unnecessary elaboration. The truthful line applies as much to poetry as it does to visual design.

pleasantries