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Is Your Reader a Foe Or a Friend

Do the thoughts of those who knew you well
        when you were young and full of life 
concern you now much farther down 
        this road of struggles, pain and strife?

Do they know your mind, the grit and grind
        that molded you like clay?
Or look upon you as if nothing's changed 
        since childhood yesterday?

Do some words you write make them feel uptight 
        igniting hidden feelings,
Flowing unexpectedly, sending heads and minds  
       through space and time, a 'reeling?  

All because you opened up
        some measure of truth dejour' 
Straight from the mind of the child who climbed 
        tall trees by the old seashore.

Where the summer breeze blew, and you once knew
        every shell on the sun-bleached sands 
where family and friends all gathered back then 
      before life was all scheduled and planned.
        
Back in the day when it was play, play, play
        cowboys and Indians for fun,
Or King of the Hill and don't ever kill 
        those dreams 'till the day you are done.  
     
Do they tease you at all or make you feel small
        for the poems you've personally penned
(with a wink and a prayer from the Artist upstairs),
        is your reader a foe or a friend?

Copyright © Terrell Martin | Year Posted 2022

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I Am Anaya Date: 7/30/2022 7:20:00 PM Hi Terrall Martin, another sad truth, one wonders what they may think now. You are not alone in this. At times I wish to go back to the playful times in my youth, so much easier. Enjoyed this great piece! ~Anaya Login to Reply Terrell Martin Date: 7/30/2022 7:49:00 PM Anaya, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind words of encouragement and understanding. Nice to know a fellow poet who "Gets it" in terms of how others may view our poetry (or prose). Thanks again my new-found poetic friend. Cheers, Terry (Or Terrell):

Jenna Logan Date: 7/30/2022 2:31:00 AM I wonder why some people view poetry in a negative light. Jealousy, perhaps? To be able to write with the ability you have is a gift, and it shouldn't matter what anyone thinks of it... except for you. If anyone chastises a poet's work, it's because he/she doesn't understand it, or is jealous. There should be no foes. Login to Reply Terrell Martin Date: 7/30/2022 5:16:00 PM Jenna, I can't tell you how much that means to me...much more than you know. I'm reading a book called "Fearless Writing" by William Kenower, who talks about having the courage to write - regardless of what others may think or say. Guess I'm still a work in progress! PS: I think I saw YOUR picture next to the word "Gift or gifted" in Webster's Dictionary):

Jim Slaughter Date: 7/29/2022 11:34:00 AM Excellent piece, Terrell. With prose it's easy enough, I think, to separate the work from the writer. But poetry is usually too personal to do that so easily. I would say your readers fall more into the "friend" category. Login to Reply Terrell Martin Date: 7/30/2022 5:19:00 PM Thanks ever so much Jim. I surely hope so but can't help but think that there will always be critics out there. But "Sa la Vi - Such is life" and the show (writing, that is) must go on!