bribery & affection.

Abby & I lazing around on a Monday night:

Sometimes I bribe my dog with graham crackers to sit next to me. Is that sad?

She likes men better. Probably because they don't smother her with unwanted love like I do. Right?

That must be it.

la poesia y la naturaleza

Words by Pablo Neruda, Graphic by Quality Peoples

One of the best things my undergraduate Spanish minor brought to me (besides my handsome boyfriend) was an appreciation for poetry. I can't say that I read poetry regularly; in fact, it's quite the opposite. I rarely do. But throughout my university years, when my studies would require it or when I came across a piece in a newspaper, I would consume it hungrily.

I took several courses that required extensive poetry reading in Spanish (my third and severely neglected language) and I loved it. But my interest in reading poetry fizzled after completing the courses and I didn't think about it for almost three years, until this weekend.

Yesterday, I went for a long stroll through Point Pleasant Park with Abby & a friend of mine, CH. Being surrounded by nature, reminiscing about our childhood travels and camping trips somehow reintroduced the idea of reading poetry again. I don't have the words to explain exactly why this interest suddenly reappeared, but it relates to the feeling I get when surrounded by nature. I'm one of those people who are captivated by the ocean. It makes me want to paint, draw and write. It's an endless source of inspiration for me.

So then why don't I just write poetry? That is because I can't appropriately express nature's inspiration in poetic form without it reading as my pathetic attempts at writing poems in my middle-school diary. His eyes are like the ocean, deep and untold. BLEGH.



Instead, I'll leave the writing to those who do it so well, like Pablo Neruda. All it will take is a quick trip to the library tomorrow.

Do you read poetry? Who is your favorite poet? I'm open to suggestions.