Bukowski : Applaud the Artist, or Hate the Human?

His epitaph reads – Don’t try.

The entire philosophy and art of this genius(?) artist are packed in those two words. His epitaph is open for personal interpretations, and so is the artist himself.

Charles Bukowski. The ‘laureate of American lowlife’. The cult author. Perhaps the most prominent poet in pop culture because of his legendary quotes like – ‘Find what you love and let it kill you’. You are bound to find many more because his words are so oft-quoted. And it’s no surprise either. His work is simple, raw, and honest.

Contemporary Poetry and Advent of Budding Poets on Instagram

What is poetry? Panacea for the ailing aesthetic soul? Or fodder for the not-so-ordinary bibliophile? Or perhaps the expression of the innermost imagination using handpicked words?

When we happen to read a poem, it often strikes a chord with us, touching some deep recess of our mind, and we feel attuned to the poet’s psyche. We try to decipher the hidden meaning behind every word, sewn together to form a wonderful tapestry that is a poem. That’s the beauty of poetry! The freedom lies in your interpretation of it. No two people ever see the same rainbow, likewise every reader perceives a poem based on their own experience and understanding. Surprisingly, more often than not, we wonder, how is it that someone put our thoughts in such a lucid manner into words?! How is it that, some clever being found the exact right words to describe what we, as individuals were feeling within?! And if they make it rhyme on top, well, they just made your day didn’t they? Although we love reading about “a host of daffodils” or how “the two roads diverged in a yellow wood” every now and then, we connect with these budding poets at a more elemental level. For they belong to our generation, churning out poems that match our wavelengths; and over the years these talented authors have become more accessible through Instagram. It’s a great platform for showcasing your flair for writing as well as your creativity, in terms of art and presentation. While Instagram allows you to remain anonymous, should you choose to write under a pen name (like bygone poets used to do); you can even sell your craft using a business profile.

Photo-Poetry: Diving Deep into the Art of Expression

Imagination has absolutely no boundary and so is the case with art. Along with other forms of art, photography and poetry have become one of the most popular mediums of expression in the 21^st century. Photography needs a great eye for grasping opportunities for a perfect breath-taking picture and poets have the skill to weave random words in a beautiful tapestry that speaks to you in several ways. Their love child, locally known as “photo-poetry” on the Instagram universe, has the capability to electrify your soul from head to toe. From amateur to professional photographers, poetry is a medium being used to reach the audience in much deeper manner that photography alone cannot do.

Lost

I linger
at the crossroad.
Both the paths
going towards
the past
I thought
I’d left behind.
But apparently not.

I was feeling
different now,
lighter than the
burden I was forced to carry.
That of my demons,
my nightmares,
my questions,
my ways.