RA>Not everybody understands every poem, though.  I, for one, tend to be
  >rather literal in my thinking and writing, so understanding the symbolic
  >imagery frequently found in poetry requires a lot of effort on my part,
  >which basically means I'm not going to read most poetry for 'fun'.  On
  >the other hand, literal thinking can make for great humor.
Actually, it's the *real* or *literal* world that is the root of
everything, including symbols; so you actually have the better
awareness.
I was at a conference last week.  I met a man there who is more in tune
with the physical world than anyone I've ever met before.  Before the
first night was over, he knew there were three different types of
lightning bugs outside the conference area.  He knew all the flowers.
He knew the wind. He knew the color of every dress he saw, and every
wall. He was an astonishing and delightful person. Reality *is* utterly
delightful, you know!
Someone was talking about mystics at one point.  He turned to me and
said, "I have no desire to be a mystic.  The handiworks of the heavens
is so overwhelming that I don't think I could handle a more direct
experience with God."  I didn't have the heart to tell him he already
*was* a mystic; that such a acute awareness of the beauty of the
physical world made him one.
RA>It seems Margaret has a reputation I don't know about--not remarkable,
  >considering that I don't follow poetry.  It has been a dozen or more
  >years since I've seen her.  They've moved around quite a bit for
  >employment reasons, and I didn't even know they were back in town until a
  >few years ago when I chanced upon a letter in the newspaper she had
  >written to the editor about some issue involving the public school system
  >here.
Margaret Benbow is a rising name among poets.
                     Sondra
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 þ SLMR 2.1a þ Some people dream of great things: some people do them.
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