Would you give up a year of your life to write one really good poem?

A good poem will flow through your lips and fingertips and would not require a full year’s attention. Would I continue to edit, revise, and expand a poem for the duration of a year? Absolutely – it may even take me longer than one year. Would I put my entire life on pause for it? No.

Depends on how long my life span is going to be. I mean, i’m not giving up a whole bloody year lightly. No way Pedro….err sorry…. Jose. I do love words & poetry in particular. So if we can maybe haggle a little get it down to say perhaps six months. Then yeah, i’d be up for it absolutely!

I am 66 and may not have a spare year to give up. no, i would not do so.

No,but I’d give up a day to write a memorable limerick…;)

Driving home drunk with water
From snowglobes
To see a would-be father in your living room
Swords drawn, a prophet to your screams
While I tripped and fell on my own bayonet
Long dulled by your heart and lungs
To your photographs: my torture device
My crucifix in a shoebox
And I, a gilded cage
A sultan on your couch
Watching the cosmopolitan image
And your thirsty work
How close I was
Your uncooperative tongue
I’ve considered the lilies for far long enough
You schizophrenic Lilith atop my Christmas tree
And maybe one day, I’ll sling off your reigns
And cast you on the earth like a curse.

Roses are red
Coal is black
I need a new car
But, i don’t have jack.

One minute to write this poem, not one year. i know, it sucks.

No I would not.

Hmm, I understood the deal was for a “really good poem.” :¬( Nah, only kidding :¬)

Nope. It would have to pay me up front the equivalent of what I’ve made as far as income for the last decade.

There was a young man called Mcvitie
Who played for Birmingham City
He scored lots of goals
Most using his nose
And now he can’t smell
What a pity.

Now there’s culture for you…..oh come on, that’s worth a month of anyone’s life surely. Okay a week then…...a day. One lousy hour….sigh!

Yes. As a poet, and someone who loves beauty, yes.

Depending on the year that is, if it was one I had already lived, maybe not. Because to write about anything you need experience, and imagination that draws from your experiences. If you mean would I spend a year writing one great poem, yes. Would I forfeit one year off of my life to get one poem, yes. Of course in every case, it would have to be a damn good poem right? How about a decade for a great book? I’d go for that.

To my friend on fluther, flutherother,
From another known as whatthefluther:
I trust it’s clear,
These words are but quite austere,
For I do fear,
I can spare not e’en a year.

See ya…....Gary/wtf

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard…...Fuck, that is powerful! I know you are/will be a survivor and destined for great things and I suspect you would gladly give a year for that, if not also for your extraordinary poem.
See ya…..Gary/wtf

I wouldn’t it, and was going to say the same thing @everephebe did. Great poems come from life experience – if you give up a year, you’re giving up the words for your poem.

@whatthefluther, thank you kindly. That’s my favorite poem I’ve ever written.

I’d sacrifice a year for a project if that’s what it called for, but I think most any creative task would suffer from a life on hold rather than benefit from it.

I can do it in a day.

I’m with @Simone_De_Beauvoir

I would for a book, but I can whip up a poem at the drop of a hat. ;-)

I would despise placing literature at such a high priority in my life. If I could drive my TGP back and forth across the continent for a year straight, I would much rather do that instead. Just look at Forrest Gump.

I would do it, but only if I could take away a year that I had already lived. :)

@rodydoe89 which one?

Well, @everephebe, assuming that it didn’t have to be from January through December, I’d choose June 2009 to June 2010. So basically my whole 20th year.

@rodydoe89 I think it’s a safe assumption. Hope the rest of 2010 picks up for you through June of 2011 and beyond. Besides now you can drink. :) Cheers.

Thanks, @everephebe! I know that’s right! Cheers! :)

Sure. The only good poet is a dead poet anyway.