I’m not a fan of poetry. I was born a ramblin’ writer, so I suppose prose is an easier format for me to understand. I love Garrison Keillor, Jack Kerouac and more of the modern writers (Victorian, blech!). I’m a run on sentence. A series of commas and conjunctions. 

But I love William Carlos Williams’ poem This is Just to Say. Perhaps because I value wit over style. Or because he never really apologizes. Ugh, who cares. I have another twenty years of literature to sift through before I have a decent opinion.

Anyway.

This is Just to Say

I have eaten the plums

that were in the icebox

and which you were

probably saving for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet and so cold

        -WCW

I heard This American Life play around with this style in one of their acts. I’ll post some of my favorite spoofs. Maybe one day I’ll be brave and write my own.

Sorry I took your money and burned it

But it looked like

the world falling apart

when it crackled and burned

So I think it was worth it.

After all, you can’t see the world

falling apart every day.

        -Andrew Veccione (sp?)

This is just to say

I have eaten the fruit of knowledge

but nothing happened

Not a word

no lightning or volcanoes

not even a drop of rain.

So I was just wondering,

are you there?

       -Jonathan Goldstein