Emotional Tension

I sincerely believe that poetry, by its very nature, exists as a release for emotional tension. not just negative emotions either - I theorize that some people have it within their very character to experience life more intensely than others. Some of these people find outlets in athletics or petty bar-fights while the poet tries to let his feelings out delicately, so as not to destroy himself either in the letting go or the withholding of such feelings. Critics of poetry might wonder how someone could spend entire stanzas examining one solitary tree, while to the poet the tree represents so much more. Say, for example, the tree represents the loneliness felt by the poet in his childhood. Yet, even then, there is a distinction between whether this association is subconscious or planned out. In any case, poetry is about human emotion. Because aside from words, what else could it be?

And then I ran out of space on the paper.

Be kind...

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.

I don't really believe that. Of course, I've never been much of an absolutist. That is, anyone I meet might be fighting a harder battle. Isn't it all conditional? Don't be nice because you have things better, be nice because it's the right thing to do. I guess my opponents will chalk that down to my religious beliefs. To hell with them. You have to bring a man in to beat down his writing, it just means you're not man enough to do it yourself. But anyway, back on topic... it's the right thing to do, I won't lie... that is the Christian edict. Even in the sermon I heard just this morning our Vicar said that every commandment can be boiled down to "love your neighbor as yourself." Though, that was straight from scripture so I guess I shouldn't glorify the Vicar over it. But he's spreading it, just as I am now, and that takes a courage all its own. So yes, it is a Christian ideal - not exclusively of course. And that's the point. Taking religion out of the picture, is being unconditionally nice still the right thing to do? I think so. Why? Think about it - it may not work out so well in todays society... but why? Because not everyone is doing it. Not everyone is being kind to one another. Imagine if they did just that. That's my point. I suppose I could count religion along with that, but I won't violate your trust nor insult your intelligence - that's key. Thats an important step that a lot of people miss.