why i'm driven to attempt visual poetry

visual or concrete poetry can show resistance--against societal convention, against the corporate and governmental propaganda that we are forced to choke down. it is a form of rebellion against order, the idea that words must make sense, must be in the right order.it can be a way of resisting modern techlogy by using methods such as typing, letraset, mimeographing, hand stamping that have been almost replaced by digital manipulation. it can also be humourous, whimsical and playful without taking away from its kick-against-the-pricks nature.

it is obscure to most people, even poetry enthusiasts. it is a marginal activity that gets little to no attention. when it does receive attention, it is mostly in the form of judgement. More than anything, i dislike close-mindedness and pedants.

i am interested in anything that makes the pedants reach for their dictionaries and look up the word "poetry" or "art" and say, "this is not poetry; this is not art."

i like to amuse myself with whimsy.

i am excited by form, design and colour.

i dislike being force fed propaganda. this era seems to be replete with double speak. i am surrounded by people who follow rules blindly. in Canada we have a Conservative majority government. i can't stand it.

i am still excited by the era of Montparnasse between the wars. the artists, poets, playwrights, musicians who were driven by the need to create art faced with the horror and devestation wreaked by war.

all of these things drive me to attempt to create visual and other types of poetry. i am swimming against the tide of obedient fish and i need to be in a world where i am not the lone fish.

i have much to learn and for that i am grateful.