Since my house burned down
I now have a better view
of the rising moon.
Mizuta Masahide
A poem is a storm. Lightning strikes. Thunder booms. Wind shakes the house, rattles the windows, blows shingles off the roof. Storm damage may require a response to the way you dwell in the world.
Do not merely repair the damage.
Do not merely restore your dwelling to its previous condition.
Then you would merely live inside the same old walls, roof, and windows.
Then you would miss the chance to try new habits in a new habitation.
Then you would only see what you already have seen,
know what you already knew.
‘Poetry breaks things.’
A poem offers a new look at an old world.
A poem removes the obstruction.
A poem makes the familiar unfamiliar.
A poem reminds you of how odd the world you have gotten used to actually is.
The aftermath of a poem is an occasion to remodel your life; alter, amend, renovate your mind/body habitation. Now you have the opportunity to change your mind and with it your world.