The Critic

[the mingo]

overflowing with glowing mysticism
you hold lovingly
the beast fascist hammer you favor
to vanish & drown prophet & poet
in absolutism
a militaristic wannabe romantic idolater
with craft your holy crusade & holy excuse
hoping to savage & deracinate heroism
should it appear in any
unfortunate's withered worthless soul
turning everything you touch to a catholic mold
your righteous corruption
blinds both of your eyes
and all of your heart
your tiresome tourism
a constant whine you must
hear in your sleep amongst
the nightmare howl of
10,000 rat crapped poems
come to chew your heels
all the way to bone

[theirishsea]

I even like this more on second and third readings.

The poem stands on its own but knowing certain other things it has even more dimensions, though unfortunately for all concerned there.

and on a fourth reading the whole poem crystallizes into a brilliant characterization. It is a shame it has to be censored in some countries but we want to ease tensions, not start a full scale war.

I will say that that aspect of critical mind in each of us, if too dominant, can snuff the creative spark. Of course we want to write better but if the critical mind imprisons each word, image, thought before you type it, there is no creative energy. We are dead as writers.

[the mingo]

Irish, - Here Here

[mtmynd]

(sent me to the dictionary with "deracinate" which choked even the spell checker)

el Mingo, this just might be one your more profound and (definitely!) serious writes that a reader like me must take small bites of and thoroughly masticate each word until it runs down the back of my throat like some hand-crafted moonshine aged in scorched oak barrels to be taken out and poured with honor and grace in small engraved crystal glassware with the words "Hot Damn, Ceasar!!" and the requisite smile cracks over my morbid face...

[WIREMAN]

Written with definite feeling, for I think I know the source......it really bugs me that such a putz
Would quote Henry Miller as his signature, Henry would roll in his grave.....

[the mingo]

Cec, your response was a "Hot Damn, Caesar!" all in itself - I have a heartfelt "Thank You" for all you've said. I've never spoken of this to you but whenever I read your work I get this image in my mind of you at the controls of a Flying Fortress carpet bombing the hell out of the arid landscapes around you, rocks pulverized flying every which way, the ground shaking, the roar of it all spreading outwards towards Mars, dust rising three thousand feet straight up - I enjoy that image & your work.

Thanks, Cec -

PS - first time I heard the word "deracinate" was in an anti-semitic rant in a movie several years ago - sent me to the dictionary too - funny thing about it, I could find no synonyms listed for it in the sources i had available to me at the time -

[the mingo]

Wireman, "Henry would roll in his grave..." cracked me up - Thx Mark

[Tjflowers80]

Love the poem hate the critic in my head. Very wonderful

[the mingo]

Thx TJ & good morning to ya -

[Tjflowers80]

5:30 am here how about y'all

[saw]

well done, I too, had to google "deracinate"...great word to know

the thing with critics is some lose direction, and for them the driving force becomes nothing to do with constructive suggestion, and everything about their ever-expanding ego....to me this is easy to spot, boring, and not worth an ounce of energy debating....this type of critic isn't a critic at all it is someone self absorbed with size of their brain and they use forums to show it off....always unaware that many see right through it....too caught up in their performance..

meanness seems to be a hallmark of their displays, as if...if one can use their IQ to shred mere mortals they can elevate their status to king of the world ...it's infantile yes....but there are some mean ass babies out there

steering clear in my experience takes away their stage....if no wants to play with them, they are relegated to the fantasy world where they remain on top...

I have struggled in the past with yo yo's like this, but for some time now have chosen to let them dance alone

a well constructed critique of not so well constructed critic.....

[the mingo]

TJ - day going into evening now - it's been 100 degrees and over the past few days - unusual for my region herein the great state of Yew Nork, especially up here on the Plateau - wears me out -

[the mingo]

Thx saw - the world seems to be salted with them & even though the poem was squashed & pulled I had the satisfaction of getting it out of my system - a plus in my book these days

[Arcadia]

yeah, let´s lay down criticism!

The west is the best
The great easter sun & the big apple
Apple & the mon-keyS
Fear the waking dead
Chips & Montalbano´s chapters titles

great poem, mingo, seriously!!!!!!!!

[mnaz]

Well said, and on the money. (We know the type, don't we?)