1 files changed, 23 insertions, 28 deletions
diff --git a/src/arspoetica.txt b/src/arspoetica.txt
index 3014498..60b6ba1 100644
--- a/src/arspoetica.txt
+++ b/src/arspoetica.txt

@@ -14,38 +14,33 @@ project:
        link: theoceanoverflowswithcamels
 ...
-What is poetry?  [Poetry is.][is]  Inasmuch as life is, so is poetry.  Here is
+What is poetry?
-the problem: life is very big and complex.  Human beings are neither.  We
+[Poetry is.][is]
-are small, simple beings that don’t want to know all of the myriad
+Inasmuch as life is, so is poetry.
-interactions happening all around us, within us, as a part of us, all
+Here is the problem: life is very big and complex.
-the hours of every day.  We much prefer knowing only that which is just
+Human beings are neither.
-in front of our faces, staring us back with a look of utter contempt.
+We are small, simple beings that don’t want to know all of the myriad interactions happening all around us, within us, as a part of us, all the hours of every day.
+We much prefer knowing only that which is just in front of our faces, staring us back with a look of utter contempt.
 This is why many people are depressed.
-Poetry is an attempt made by some to open up our field of view, to maybe
+Poetry is an attempt made by some to open up our field of view, to maybe check on something else that isn’t staring us in the face so contemptibly.
-check on something else that isn’t staring us in the face so
+Maybe something else is smiling at us, we think.
-contemptibly.  Maybe something else is smiling at us, we think.  So we
+So we write poetry to force ourselves to look away from the [mirror][] of our existence to see something else.
-write poetry to force ourselves to look away from the [mirror][] of our
-existence to see something else.
-This is generally painful.  To make it less painful, poetry compresses
+This is generally painful.
-reality a lot to make it more consumable.  It takes life, that seawater,
+To make it less painful, poetry compresses reality a lot to make it more consumable.
-and boils it down and boils it down until only the salt remains, the
+It takes life, that seawater, and boils it down and boils it down until only the salt remains, the important parts that we can focus on and make some sense of the senselessness of life.
-important parts that we can focus on and make some sense of the
+Poetry is life bouillon, and to thoroughly enjoy a poem we must put that bouillon back into the seawater of life and make a delicious soup out of it.
-senselessness of life.  Poetry is life bouillon, and to thoroughly enjoy
+To make this soup, to decompress the poem into an emotion or life, requires a lot of brainpower.
-a poem we must put that bouillon back into the seawater of life and make
+A good reader will have this brainpower.
-a delicious soup out of it.  To make this soup, to decompress the poem
+A good poem will not require it.
-into an emotion or life, requires a lot of brainpower.  A good reader
-will have this brainpower.  A good poem will not require it.
-What this means is: a poem should be self-extracting.  It should be a
+What this means is: a poem should be self-extracting.
-rare vanilla in the bottle, waiting only for someone to open it and
+It should be a rare vanilla in the bottle, waiting only for someone to open it and sniff it and suddenly there they are, in the orchid that vanilla came from, in the tropical land where it grew next to its brothers and sister vanilla plants.
-sniff it and suddenly there they are, in the orchid that vanilla came
+They feel the pain of having their children taken from them.
-from, in the tropical land where it grew next to its brothers and sister
+A good poem leaves a feeling of loss and of intense beauty.
-vanilla plants.  They feel the pain of having their children taken from
+The reader does nothing to achieve this—they are merely the receptacle of the feeling that the poem forces onto them.
-them.  A good poem leaves a feeling of loss and of intense beauty.  The
+In a way, poetry is a crime.
-reader does nothing to achieve this—they are merely the receptacle of
-the feeling that the poem forces onto them.  In a way, poetry is a crime.
 But it is the most beautiful crime on this crime-ridden earth.
 [is]: words-meaning.html

diff --git a/src/arspoetica.txt b/src/arspoetica.txt index 3014498..60b6ba1 100644 --- a/src/arspoetica.txt +++ b/src/arspoetica.txt
@@ -14,38 +14,33 @@ project:
14	link: theoceanoverflowswithcamels	14	link: theoceanoverflowswithcamels
15	...	15	...
16		16
17	What is poetry? [Poetry is.][is] Inasmuch as life is, so is poetry. Here is	17	What is poetry?
18	the problem: life is very big and complex. Human beings are neither. We	18	[Poetry is.][is]
19	are small, simple beings that don’t want to know all of the myriad	19	Inasmuch as life is, so is poetry.
20	interactions happening all around us, within us, as a part of us, all	20	Here is the problem: life is very big and complex.
21	the hours of every day. We much prefer knowing only that which is just	21	Human beings are neither.
22	in front of our faces, staring us back with a look of utter contempt.	22	We are small, simple beings that don’t want to know all of the myriad interactions happening all around us, within us, as a part of us, all the hours of every day.
		23	We much prefer knowing only that which is just in front of our faces, staring us back with a look of utter contempt.
23	This is why many people are depressed.	24	This is why many people are depressed.
24		25
25	Poetry is an attempt made by some to open up our field of view, to maybe	26	Poetry is an attempt made by some to open up our field of view, to maybe check on something else that isn’t staring us in the face so contemptibly.
26	check on something else that isn’t staring us in the face so	27	Maybe something else is smiling at us, we think.
27	contemptibly. Maybe something else is smiling at us, we think. So we	28	So we write poetry to force ourselves to look away from the [mirror][] of our existence to see something else.
28	write poetry to force ourselves to look away from the [mirror][] of our
29	existence to see something else.
30		29
31	This is generally painful. To make it less painful, poetry compresses	30	This is generally painful.
32	reality a lot to make it more consumable. It takes life, that seawater,	31	To make it less painful, poetry compresses reality a lot to make it more consumable.
33	and boils it down and boils it down until only the salt remains, the	32	It takes life, that seawater, and boils it down and boils it down until only the salt remains, the important parts that we can focus on and make some sense of the senselessness of life.
34	important parts that we can focus on and make some sense of the	33	Poetry is life bouillon, and to thoroughly enjoy a poem we must put that bouillon back into the seawater of life and make a delicious soup out of it.
35	senselessness of life. Poetry is life bouillon, and to thoroughly enjoy	34	To make this soup, to decompress the poem into an emotion or life, requires a lot of brainpower.
36	a poem we must put that bouillon back into the seawater of life and make	35	A good reader will have this brainpower.
37	a delicious soup out of it. To make this soup, to decompress the poem	36	A good poem will not require it.
38	into an emotion or life, requires a lot of brainpower. A good reader
39	will have this brainpower. A good poem will not require it.
40		37
41	What this means is: a poem should be self-extracting. It should be a	38	What this means is: a poem should be self-extracting.
42	rare vanilla in the bottle, waiting only for someone to open it and	39	It should be a rare vanilla in the bottle, waiting only for someone to open it and sniff it and suddenly there they are, in the orchid that vanilla came from, in the tropical land where it grew next to its brothers and sister vanilla plants.
43	sniff it and suddenly there they are, in the orchid that vanilla came	40	They feel the pain of having their children taken from them.
44	from, in the tropical land where it grew next to its brothers and sister	41	A good poem leaves a feeling of loss and of intense beauty.
45	vanilla plants. They feel the pain of having their children taken from	42	The reader does nothing to achieve this—they are merely the receptacle of the feeling that the poem forces onto them.
46	them. A good poem leaves a feeling of loss and of intense beauty. The	43	In a way, poetry is a crime.
47	reader does nothing to achieve this—they are merely the receptacle of
48	the feeling that the poem forces onto them. In a way, poetry is a crime.
49	But it is the most beautiful crime on this crime-ridden earth.	44	But it is the most beautiful crime on this crime-ridden earth.
50		45
51	[is]: words-meaning.html	46	[is]: words-meaning.html