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Through The Glass Darkly

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It may sound romantic, but in search of that elusive metaphor, poets can be somewhat  “eccentric.”

  1. If you date a poet everyone will think you are the jerk they are writing about.
  2. You will be the jerk they are writing about.
  3. They have an unnatural affection for book stores and office supply stores.
  4. They have deep conversations with Animals, Clouds, and Grecian Urns.
  5. Excessive use of  “poetry hands.”
  6. Excessive abuse of  “poetic licence.”
  7. Excessive use of  “melancholy.”
  8. Excessive use of  “dramatic emphasis.”
  9. They collect obscure words that have not been in circulation for at least 100 years or more.
  10. They insert these antediluvian words into conversations just to rebel.
  11. They think children’s books are sublime.
  12. They refuse to care where the remote is.
  13. All of their furniture are positioned around windows, for them to stare out for hours at a time.
  14. Your parents will think they are possessed.
  15. They are possessed.
  16. You will lose all arguments, or feel so guilty from causing them more emotional pain, you will wish you had lost.
  17. They will secretly judge your metaphors.
  18. They carry a notebook everywhere and let everyone see it but you.
  19. They hoard pens and refuse to let you borrow them.
  20. They are obsessed with incredibly depressing films.
  21. They listen to every single kind of music you can imagine, even Brazilian monkey howling listening for universal truth.
  22. They keep conversations going way too long.
  23. You will never know if they agree with you or are just following you down the rabbit hole to see how crazy you are.
  24. They will visit other rabbit holes.
  25. They can’t keep secrets.  It will come out thinly veiled and mythologized in their poetry.
  26. It takes a least a week to a year for them to form their opinion, and that opinion is subject to change, because they are always questioning themselves.
  27. They speak in rhyme all the time.
  28. They talk to everyone, which a lot of people find scary, especially at the grocery store.
  29. They don’t understand why if murder, rape, slavery, and genocide are illegal, then why is war legal?
  30. They actually think people need to be protected from Monsanto, instead of protecting Monsanto.
  31. They do not understand why all of a sudden group “X” is hated by everyone.
  32. They don’t understand the global threat of Dandelions and why they must be eradicated the with toxic chemicals.
  33. They refuse to care about celebrities.
  34. They are rebels and purposely wear white shoes after Labor Day.
  35. They think espresso machines and tiny cups are magic.
  36. They refuse to #textspeak.  They invented #textspeak.
  37. They will  make you empty out your head and heart like junk drawers and question everything in them.
  38. They can not live without passion.
  39. There will be drama.
  40. They crave plot twists.
  41.  Their greatest fear is no will understand their allusions.
  42. They mine for emotional shrapnel like diamonds.
  43. Their euphemisms will never measure up.
  44. They can only live or visit cities with poetry open mics.
  45. Whatever is wrong, they have a tea for it, and probably a cookie, definitely a wine.
  46. They attempt to interject malapropisms into every conversation.
  47. They have their own antagonist and nemesis.
  48. They sneak dord into conversations in an attempt to make it a real word.
  49. They abuse asyndetons.
  50. But the most important reason never to date a poet is that poetry is an addiction, and before you know it, you will be the addict in search of your next metaphoric hit of universal truth.

So, You were warned!

216 thoughts on “50 Reasons Not To Date A Poet

  1. Shadow says:

    Love this.

    Like

    1. ;) Thank you Shadow

      Like

    2. Jessica Slavin says:

      This is wonderfully normalizing! :-) Even if I actually think these are, kidding aside, reasons I may be difficult to date. Oh well! Damn it all, I love the poetry.

      Like

      1. Thank you. I can’t help. I will try to be less stingy with my pens, but I …probably won’t. :)

        Like

  2. What a great post, this list is priceless. :)

    Like

    1. shucks :) Thank you

      Like

  3. Awesome…funny and pretty much true:)

    Like

  4. nannus says:

    There was a young poet, a female
    She only liked letters, not email
    One fan wrote a mail
    But to just no avail
    The relation was bound thus to derail
    :-)

    Like

    1. :) but that is another tail. te he

      Like

      1. nannus says:

        Well, the tail part of the tale did a fail :-)

        Like

  5. Paul Nichol says:

    Does it matter if you do not exhibit all these characteristics, and if not, can you still proclaim to be a poet, as I did not score 50/50? I do have some other strange person traits, which I could use in exchange, to make the grade. Great post.

    Like

    1. Substitutions are allowed, as long as they are “eccentric.” ;)

      Like

      1. Paul Nichol says:

        That is not a problem………..

        Like

  6. lowbrowangel says:

    and they talk to themselves too haha

    Like

    1. definitely :)

      Like

  7. Eric says:

    10 Reasons you should date poets anyway:

    1. They are great in bed.
    2. They will watch the whole chick flick intently, looking for the hidden societal themes.
    3. They will write you love poetry such as you have never felt before.
    4. They will never judge you because the freecreditreport.com pirate is singing your song.
    5. Did I mention they are great in bed?
    6. They do foot rubs (Aye, that’s the rub!)
    7. Whatever they are doing with you, no matter how menial, is special time.
    8. Their dreams remain in the clouds and you are part of their dreams.
    9. They are looking for you, the special person that will forgive them for their faults and see beyond the frail exterior.
    10. When in doubt, please refer to Reason 1.

    Like

      1. Eric says:

        I wrote it as a non-fiction work! :-D

        Like

    1. azmihoffmann says:

      so all the poet are great in bed? i tought its just me :DD

      Like

  8. lengesinski says:

    Love It! So Bloody True…..

    Like

  9. my favorite is the very clever 47

    Like

    1. :) Thank, I appreciate ….

      Like

  10. totalovrdose says:

    Great post! :D I totally agree with a vast majority of your points. With regards to number 9, I think I have used that exact same line in one of my own pieces! However, the last thing I believe poets needed were fifty more reasons for people not to date them!

    Like

  11. ddwright says:

    As an author, poetess & reader of poetry, I appreciate the creativity & reality of this.

    Like

  12. ddwright says:

    Reblogged this on ddwright.

    Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

  13. Yoshiko says:

    Ha! Ha! Ha! :-D Not all poets are like that. But I agree with you on point 17. Those who want to borrow pen, I will lend them cheap pen. Some people don’t return pen after borrow.

    Like

    1. Yes I hate lending pens :)

      Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

  14. eacieri says:

    I am so guilty of 19, 28 and the second half of 33. Amazing post!

    Like

    1. Thank you. I am guilty of all and more :)

      Like

  15. pi314chron says:

    Hilarious in the extreme! More! More! Good to see you are still reading my poetry/haiku/tanka with apparently no ill effects. :) Be good to YOU!

    -R-

    Like

  16. Philisapher says:

    I do love this Betty, although for number 50 I would make it either become one of vow never to love another.
    If you’re a head case poet and you know it raise a glass!

    Like

    1. Thank you, I drink to that!

      Like

  17. scrowley4 says:

    Reblogged this on book of ninja.

    Like

  18. R. Lynn says:

    Great list, I have to reblog:-)

    Like

  19. festivalking says:

    A friend of mine call poets “Tortured souls” … I kind of agree …

    Well done! :)

    Like

    1. Thank you, and sometime torturer of souls :)

      Like

      1. festivalking says:

        lol! Okay that too :D

        Like

  20. Now, at last, I know why I stopped being a poet long ago: 1) I do care where the TV remote is because if I can’t find it…I won’t be able to see the end of the episode of Downton Abbey I was watching on Netflix last night, and I’m dying to know if Mary and Matthew will reconcile, and 2) I, occasionally, care who’s fighting on Twitter – a guilty pleasure for certain because it’s always rather amusing when Jen and Angelina are spatting or Donald and any number of starlets/talk show hosts, etc., and 3) I haven’t had time to stare out a window since college unless it’s my car window, and I’m glaring at a red light hoping to annoy it into finally switching to GREEN, so that I can go on with my life instead of watching myself grow older in an intersection…

    ANYWHO…thanks for sharing, and I absolutely LOVE this line: “They mine for emotional shrapnel like diamonds….” – very elegant and very poetic.

    Best,
    TB

    Like

    1. Thank you. You have very good arguments, but you have to make time to stare out the window :)

      Like

      1. I’ll do my best! Thanks…:)

        Like

  21. ntfcnicky says:

    Oh this is brilliant; the fact I do many of these things might explain why I can’t get a date!

    Like

  22. Aman says:

    Loved your post! :)

    Like

  23. jrosenberry1 says:

    This is BRILLIANT! 17, 20 & 21 are especially true for me … and 47 too!
    The Brazilian Monkey Howling music drives hubby crazy … and the aposiopesis drives email recipients crazy. And hey, I learned something … didn’t know there was a name for the dots …

    Love this!

    Like

    1. Thank you :) ….

      Like

  24. This was fantastic. So funny! I like poetry a lot ( read and write ) but still I enjoyed your post so much! :)

    Like

  25. Reblogged this on Cytherean Dreams and commented:
    Hits home in so many ways…I guess I actually am a poet.

    Like

  26. Ian Allan says:

    As a poet I think it’s great but many would become become irate. I would have added two more to clear making the same number of weeks in a year but having said that when all is done your poem was really good fun !!

    Like

    1. Thank you. :)

      Like

  27. heeh3212 says:

    LOL!!! This list is awesome! Very funny and very true.. Im definitely reblogging this.

    http://utruthkn.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. Thank you. Cool :D

      Like

  28. Very funny…I was going down the list saying “yes, yes, no, sometimes, yes.” Brought a smile to my face :)

    Iaminterestingdammit.wordpress.com

    Like

  29. dorasnow says:

    Reblogged this on Dandelion Wordwebs and commented:
    Fabulous! :-)

    Like

  30. authorsylvia says:

    I love, love, love this!

    Like

  31. Funny, I was saying yes,yes,no, sometimes too…but that means that I’m not a complet poat yet…rifgt? :)

    Like

    1. It might mean you can substitute other eccentricities. :)

      Like

      1. their sum must remain constant :)

        Like

  32. John says:

    Reblogged this on Poetically Versed and commented:
    A little poetry humor.

    Being a beginning poet, I have yet to work my way up to conversing with Grecian Urns…

    Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

      1. John says:

        Thank you for such a fun post!

        Like

  33. Oh these are wonderful for so many reasons!

    Like

    1. Thank you David. I appreciate hearing that :)

      Like

  34. typosintheline says:

    Reblogged this on Sea-girt Ithaca and commented:
    50 reasons why poets generally do not get dates … Beatrice is usually the way to go.

    Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

  35. toobasiddiqui says:

    Love it . Each word is true .

    Like

  36. storiesbyfrances says:

    Oh my god, I just realized I´m half-poet.

    Like

  37. Reblogged this on The Lessons of Chi and commented:
    Hilarious!

    Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

  38. Wes says:

    Excuse me, but. 31 – don’t date a poet because they believe in equal rights? Is that what you’re saying?!

    Like

    1. pretty much … It is just the tip of the conservative iceberg that only gets worse for the poet and the conservative.

      Like

  39. Flutterby says:

    Very good and funny, but one little plea – could you please change that “allot of people” in #28 to ‘a lot of people’?

    Like

    1. I can. Thank you for pointing that out. :)

      Like

  40. Reblogged this on Habari Gani, America! and commented:
    You will never know if they agree with you or are just following you down the rabbit hole to see how crazy you are.

    Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

  41. Yollie says:

    I am one of the people, poets. I apologize to friends not to really apologize but to see your reaction to my apologize so I can analyze your reaction to my apologize so I can write about the time you reacted to my apology that was only meant in the first place to get a reaction from the apology.

    Like

    1. something like that :)

      Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

    1. Thank you for reblogging :)

      Like

  42. Roomi Tarik says:

    wow! that is a great blog. But I have no idea why every poet is a target (spare some, please! Haha). Most of the things I read were true, the rest looked like “coming from an experience”. Whatever the tone, the case, I think you nailed it. Thumbs up! Cheers.

    Like

    1. Thank you. It is from experience, I know I can be irritating, but I am okay with it :)

      Like

  43. I love this so much that I had to find it again by going through my tweets to see where I RTd it! I have bookmarked you now so that I will never lose you again. You have described much of me, and though I don’t need a date, I know I am difficult to say the least. Thanks for creating such a spot on list!

    Like

    1. Thank you, That is cool to hear! I am glad I am not the only odd hat out there. :)

      Like

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