Frequently, I spend my lunch hour at the bookstore browsing magazines and books. Today was one of those days, and as a consequence I happened on the book, The Financial Lives of Poets by Jess Walter. The title is an attention-grabber and that’s why I picked up the book. I read the jacket and skimmed the first few pages, my habit for determining if a book merits further reading. Within those pages, I discovered a quote attributed to author Saul Bellow, “Poets have to dream, and dreaming in America is no cinch.”
BAM! (nod to Emeril) It’s a staggering bit of verbiage. I filed the quote in my cerebral database and later deposited it on a piece of scrap paper littering my car. I deemed it worthy of exploration, and that’s what I intend to do here.
First, what is a poet? Well, you’d be surprised (or maybe not) at the answers I found searching the World Wide Web. How does this answer suit you? A poet is a person who writes poetry. I hope you sighed, cursed, or blew a raspberry. One should never define a thing by using the thing to define it. How’s this? A poet is a person who writes verse. Okay, but so what? This is also a poor definition, but at least I have a basic understanding of what a poet does; however, I still do not know what a poet is. There is a difference!
A poet is a:
- Crusader (e.g., Lucy Terry, John Trudell, Ron Silliman)
- Mystic (e.g., Walt Whitman, Jesse Ball)
- Activist (e.g., Andrea Gibson, Nikki Giovanni, Allen Ginsburg)
- Revolutionary (e.g., Philip Freneau, Phyllis Wheatley)
- Philosopher (e.g., Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau)
A poet gazes on her culture and critically assesses it in her verse. She affirms and strengthens cultural platforms that empower everyone. A poet is not an imitator, a trend setter, an embellisher, nor a poser. A poet is not aloof, disengaged, entitled, nor apolitical. A poet supports change for a free, just, and sustainable society. It’s with this understanding that we can appreciate “Poets have to dream,” as it’s our poets who most frequently dream of better tomorrows (life without war, poverty, abuse, discrimination, etc.).
Why is dreaming in America so difficult? I think dreaming implies change, and change is not something everyone is willing to embrace. Struggles with change are illustrated by recent US news headlines on the topics of healthcare reform, finance reform, immigration reform, education reform, etc. Opposition to reform is strong. This is not a bad thing; it just is. One should study Hegelian Dialectic to know that there will always be a series of philosophical conflicts before there is an evolution of some sort. In this world, patience is the ultimate virtue and without patience dreaming is no cinch.
In addition to 
I smelled Tommy before I ever set eyes on him. He found the cat door and invited himself in. At the time of his arrival, he had not been neutered; he left his scent behind to annoy my five cats and me. I spent several hours cleaning walls, furniture, and rugs. There after I watched for him. Though he was a bit skittish, he was also very affectionate. It was obvious that he had belonged to someone at some time. I believe he was abandoned, maybe even purposely at my house. He made it apparent that he wasn’t going to go elsewhere, so I quickly had him neutered and immunized. He was a real rascal at the vet. I think they were greatly relieved when I picked him up. It took awhile for my other cats to get used to him. Golly and Archie (my boyz) still think Tommy is a pain in the ass, but they’re getting better at ignoring him. Tommy is such a lover. He’ll give me a full body slam and bump his head against mine until I have to push him away. I don’t understand how anyone could have parted with him.
I’m knitting and crocheting like a mad woman now. I’m trying to get gifts made for Christmas. I’m not quite sure how successful I’ll be, but I’m giving it my best shot. Last night I finished this little feline. I was inspired by 
