Learning Something New

SO THE SUMMER HAS ENDED AND I ONLY REALLY GOT HALFWAY THROUGH MY HAIKU PROJECT.  BUT THAT'S OKAY, I GUESS 15 OUT OF 30 IS BETTER THAN NONE AT ALL.  IN THE MEANTIME I CAME ACROSS THIS WHICH IS AN EXAMPLE OF A CONTRAPUNTAL POEM.  SOMETHING I NEVER KNEW EXISTED UNTIL TODAY AND YET NOW THAT I'M READING IT, NOT ONLY IS THIS A FANTASTIC POEM BUT IT SEEMS SO OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A POETRY FORM THAT DEMANDS A PLACE IN OUR WORLD, IN OUR THOUGHTS. IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME THING AS THE MUSICAL MEANING OF CONTRAPUNTAL, BUT RATHER A "POINT" AND "COUNTERPOINT" WHERE ONE POEM MAKES A POINT AND THE SECOND, A CONTRASTING POINT.  WHERE THE REAL BEAUTY IS IN THE TWO TAKEN TOGETHER.  IT ALMOST MAKES ME WANT TO TRY MY HAND AT THIS TYPE OF THING, NOW THAT I KNOW THAT IT EXISTS.

AND REALLY, DOESN'T ALL ART TRY TO DO THE SAME THING? THE INGENUITY IN ART IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT "FINDING A NICHE IN A MARKET" AS IT IS ABOUT DRAWING OUT A LOST MEMORY THAT ALREADY EXISTS.  I THINK--WHETHER IT BE WRITING OR MUSIC OR PAINTING OR DANCE--THAT WE RESPOND WELL TO NEW ART FORMS PRECISELY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NEW AT ALL, BUT RATHER REMEMBERED.  AND WE ARE AT HOME MOST OF ALL IN OUR MEMORIES. 

PS- I AM STILL WORKING ON OTHER STUFF, INCLUDING "ACHINGLY HOT MOMBASA", A POEM TITLED "MATRIMONY", ANOTHER TITLED "MYSTIC" OR "SAINT" (I HAVEN'T DECIDED WHICH YET).  ALSO IN PREPARATION FOR THE HOLIDAYS I WANTED TO DO A SERIES OF POEMS TITLED AFTER FLAVORS OF CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES AND ALSO AN ODE TO RED WINE, BUT FOR THE LATTER I WAS REALLY HOPING TO GET INSPIRATION FROM THIS ARTICLE BY VICTOR HAZAN THAT I READ A GAZILLION YEARS AGO, AND OF COURSE I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE.  BUT BASICALLY THIS MAN IS THE REASON I DON'T DRINK WHITE WINE.  AT ANY RATE HERE'S A RANDOM NEW ONE:

BRIDGE
AND ON THOSE DARK DAYS
YOU CAN LOOK BACK,
REFLECT ON WHAT YOU'LL MISS ABOUT THE SUMMER-
LONG NIGHTS WHEN BODIES WERE GUITARS
SIX STRINGS TWELVE STRINGS STRUMMING, SOUNDS
THAT ECHO THROUGH THE CHAMBERS
WINGS THAT TRAVEL TO YOUR SOUL
BEATS THAT KILL THE HOLLOW ACHE
MUSIC THAT CHOKES THESE INSTRUMENTS
AND DROWNS THEM IN THE TRUTH OF WHAT THEY ARE
OR CANNOT BE.