As poets we can use words like a mask, a costume, metaphors to blur the contrasts and abstract images to encode life as it happens to us.
I’m going marriage-wise through a rough time at the moment and asked myself how open I want to write about it, how many details I want to share in that public blog setting or why I should share anything at all?
Cause if you talk about things openly you always make yourself vulnerable as well.
I’m usually not a person who carries her heart on her sleeves and I think twice before I share something personal with another person.
Yet I’ve decided to be quite open in my poetry cause I want my poems to be snapshots of my days with all their colorful spots but also its rough edges – and I want them to be real and personal and maybe in that encourage others that go through difficult times as well.
How about you?
Care to share with us?
–Claudia
dVerse 
now this is fun… because i have the word open in the article a few times, wordpress thinks the post is related to OpenLinkNight…. tsss… smiles
good evening… hope you’re all having a lovely monday…will be back in a bit to see if there’s someone around in the pub…smiles
But Open link night contains a lot of open things I think…
hehe… true that…
This is how real I get: http://www.davidallpoet.net
I believe that one puts into a poem a part of themselves everytime, whether it comes from facts or fiction of the mind. No one has ever said either facts of those needed to be true. If you bare your soul, your hurts, your pain or joys it is all one. At times it is cathartic and that is something just for you. But whatever is written in poem has no law that says it must be true. It is the emotoin you hope to raise in the reader with your words that is important no matter what the subject is. Once written it no longer belongs to you except those parts of yourself you know are there and those no one ever sees because hopefully they see it in themselves. >KB
i agree… whatever we write, there will always be parts of us in it… and it’s also important to let go of a poem… that’s why i don’t explain my poetry usually…whatever someone reads into it, they read into it – and i’m fine with that
I agree – when we have to explain a poem it hasn’t worked.
PS: All life becomes fictive once it has been lived. >KB
i wouldn’t agree with that… smiles
What has been lived becomes the past forever filtered by the thoughts we last had about what happened then. >KB
What I write is real for me, but true or real, who can say. I try to get as close to the bone as I can when I write, or why else write? If I just wanted to fool you, I would be a magician instead. Although sometimes it seems like magic. Thanks for asking Claudia.
smiles… i would sometimes prefer to be a magician instead of a poet.. but maybe we can be both at once…smiles
Amen to that! And maybe invisible, but then I’d want to write about it.
hehe.. me too…smiles
Ooh! I like the play between trueness and reality, both are relevant in my writing as well.
When I write about a scary and painful truth, I use the third person. That way, I do not feel so vulnerable and also gt to keep the identities of people involved a secret. That having been said, I am with KB in saying that most poetry imparts something about the writer.
I think that can be true.. some of the one I have written in first person would rather classify as night-mares actually…
i try to protect people as well… give them other names for example… sometimes i use third person as well
Real for me… there is always something.. I think I pour a lot of fear into my words.. sometimes for myself, but for the world, for humanity.. My own life is so dreadfully boring so I find it hard to create something from it.,, I try to be honest with what I really think.. but I do not know how open I would be about my personal life.. I admire people like you who can be so open about themselves…
honesty is a good point i think… you can feel if a person is honest in their writing – even if they write in metaphors
Hey Claudia – this is a question i ask myself much of the time – I have shrouded my life events in metaphor before now, but last year my dad died (it’s a year in July and I can’t believe it) and I wrote, wrote, wrote about it in my blog, because something inside told me that if I didn’t I would go insane, literally. He died young, it was unexpected and we had no chance to say goodbye, even though it took 12 days from him falling ill, to actually dying. It was, plain and simply, horrific.
Making myself vulnerable is something I struggle with a great deal, at least in face to face situations. Now, I think nothing can be worse than what happened last summer so in a sense, I have nothing left to lose. All the things I was scared of are not really worth being scared about – a hard lesson to learn in that way, but learn it I have. I find that people respect you more if you say it like it is too – they respect the trust you place in them, and the guts it takes to lay all your messy stuff out there in the open. As a society, we are all expected just to show the shiny, happy stuff – but real life isn’t like that.
These days, I mix up metaphor with the real, all the while knowing that my fiction is far more layered than it might have been ‘before’.
I hope you work out your rough times soon, and well.
And thank you for sharing x
Freya,, I have seen that in your writing.. I recall those painful poems very well..
i can underline what you said freya – i too think that most people will respect you for being honest – there are a few who may take advantage of it but then – those are not those you wanna be friends with anyway
Agreed. My filter for spotting the shallow people is rather good these days.
being vulnerable is when we stop embracing the fiction of life. Everyone isn’t worthy of trust, but we cannot keep it in and remain sane.
I agree. I spent too many years keeping things inside. It’s not healthy!
Interesting question, Claudia! I try to be honest in my words too and do my best not to hide behind big words or complex imagery that would fell empty. Mostly, I would say that I am very close to the persona in my poems. Yet, I also have a shyer and more private side and so there are poems I keep to myself or share with a very limited audience.
I think I agree.. the shy part.. and I think sometimes I veil things in daring metaphors… and that complex imagery…
yes – i hear you – i’m a shy person myself – i don’t trust easily and i don’t open up to someone easily. and there are certainly things in life that are def. only meant for a few chosen people to see
I like to share reality in my poems. Though that is not to say I always do. I think the fear is that if I share a vulnerability someone may criticize my thoughts or my life or my words. It would not hurt so much if I had written about something that had not made me feel vulnerable. Example: If I wrote about a tree & someone had negative comments or made fun of it, I would roll with it. If I wrote about a pain or a sadness or something close to my heart and someone made negative comments, it would not be as easy to roll with it.
That being said, the poems of others that I enjoy the most are poems that really give me a sense of the person who wrote them. I prefer to read words that really express something about the person in an understandable way. I do try to do this much of the time as well. For the most part, I try to have my poetry have some kind of message…either about me or a subject that matters to me.
Of course, we all sometimes write outside of ourselves. If I am writing a form poem sometimes, I am concentrating more on the form than anything. Or if I am writing to a prompt (for example) that doesn’t really speak to me, I may diverge from myself. (And probably wouldn’t include that poem in my next chapbook – lol.)
Claudia, I appreciate your vulnerability in your poetry. I respect it. Not easy. You are an excellent role model & a strong woman. Thank you.
smiles… i’m not as strong as i seem to be probably and i hate to make myself vulnerable. i’m good with building walls but i think we only win if we try to let the walls down a bit
I am with you, Mary, concerning the poems by others that I enjoy the most. I like to learn and see something of the person who wrote them. This is a nice thing about posting in the same place regularly, you get a better glimpse into various poets’ worlds through their words, week after week.
Exactly…getting to know people well through their poetry is a big part of the joy of writing and sharing with others.
First, I’m sorry you’re going through marital difficulties–been there, rough ride, done and happily forever single. Wish you all the best.
I’m on the fence about this question, though I fully support you, however vulnerable you want/can afford to be. In my poetry, I tend to veil the most personal–unless I want to make a specific statement which I believe readers might benefit by hearing. Much of my writing–my life–is a magical murky blend of real and imagination. When I write my Faith-based prose pieces, I strive for “transparent and authentic”–otherwise, what’s the point? Don’t know if this helps you at all–I’m new to DVerse…
i think transparent and authentic are keywords for me as well and also the readers benefit is a good point. and maybe some of our real, real pieces are not meant for posting at all but just for us to lay our heart down on the page – just for us to see
… and welcome to dVerse…smiles
Thank you–you take care of yourself now.
I would write those “It’s happening now, folks” poems but not post them if it exposes someone else as well as me. I’m starting to write about relationships that are 20 and 30 years old, glad for my journaled efforts but also glad I did not share them widely. I suppose some think that it’s a good way to communicate with the other involved–but even that is better to sleep on for a few days. Truth can be collapsed and telescoped, generalized, put in a different setting and/or obscured in symbols. Sometimes the Truth is the mood through which we see on any particular day. (Got to run. I’ll be back,)
i agree… we shouldn’t hit the publish button too quickly and esp. if we may hurt someone. and we always see things through our own glasses as well. so i would never claim the things that i write as true but how i feel in something and what it does to me
It’s still hard for me to do that, honestly… I’m a pretty private person, especially when it comes to problems I may be having; I’d rather keep it to myself than vent to someone about (which isn’t the healthiest thing to do, I know). So that’s how I developed my way of writing: if I’m feeling down about something, I’ll write about it, as if it were happening to someone else, and build upon it with things that might not apply to me. But every now-and-then, I’ll write purely what’s in my heart; last time I did that, it was for, ‘Beer and Cigarettes on his Breath’ which is about my not-so-fatherly dad. That was the most nervous I’ve ever been to post (mostly because he told me he still snoops my blog). It did feel good in the end though…
And, Anthony, the poem “Beer and Cigarettes on his Breath” was my favorite poem of yours that I have read so far!
Thank you, Mary! Writing that was like dropping a big weight off my shoulders…
oh i remember that one anthony – and i could so relate to it – so for me it was a blessing to see that you were so honest. i can understand your nervouesness though…
That was one of my favourites of yours as well, Anthony – it had such power.
Claudia, I applaud you. The hard stuff of life can be difficult to share, but one’s writing seems to come alive if the heart is willing to share. I’m torn though… someone I loved once told me that you can say almost anything, but once it’s in writing you can’t take it back. I believe a writer knows when they’re ready to put a piece of the heart out… in a way, it brings healing. My post today is centered around one of my boy’s dream coming to any end, after 7 years of toiling to make a small business work. Between the lines of each poem we write, there is a reflection of what we are living. I’ll be praying for you.
thanks for the prayers… i can def. use them.. and yes – we can’t take back the things we wrote – esp. on the internet – as soon as you post something, it’s out of our hands – so i agree, we should think carefully about what we’re willing to share and what not.
smiles.. it’s totally ok if you’re here for the beer or whatever…smiles
thanks for your kind words johanna – and i won’t make rash decisions. even though i moved out for the moment, we’re talking and will start to work on our marriage with a counselor…so.. that is good news… smiles
I used to write a poem or lines of poetic prose each night since I was a teenager until I took a break to write my PhD thesis. (Now I cannot say I write everyday.) Before poetry, I used to write a diary but my brother and mother gave me no privacy. They made big efforts to find, unlock, and read my hidden diary… Because of that, I turned to poetry. My goal was to write poems that were abstract ( a reader should not simply infer the story behind), true to my feelings/memories of the day, and esthetic. My voice has changed, now I mostly write poetry in English, but the essence is still there. Even when I write about something that I imagine, or the feeling left in me by a movie or a concert…
oh no – it’s tough if others force their way into something that is not meant for their eyes and ears… it should be always our choice what we’re willing to share with others..
i used to write a diary as well as a teen and when i got married, burnt it cause i wanted to start a new chapter and finalize the past
Agree. That was tough! But the experience brought me closer to poetry –there is always light at the end of the road, some say…
Claudia, thanks for this pubtalk. I am also passing a rough period in my love life. Big hug!
big hug to you as well adriana!!
Your question inspired a poem. Thank you, Claudia!
My husband often tells people if they want to know more about me they should read my poetry. More often than not it is where I can safely express the deep feelings and thoughts I have. Poetic license lets me wander those pathways without judgement or fear.
Rough spots in marriages can make us stronger and bring us closer together. Praying for you my friend, and sending a hug too!
thanks shanyn… yes…difficult times can make us stronger… and i LOVE poetic license…
I was so grateful you shared what you did, Claudia, just because it made you more real and also because I’ve got you and your family at the top of my “Prayer Cloud.”It weighed on me yesterday and also made me think about how easy it is to dissimulate on our blogs, to be the person we want to present to the world. All of us go through those rough spots and, quite frankly, daily rough moments, no matter how we present ourselves in the public forum. Sadly, there are some who may betray our vulnerability, who may judge us or whatever. Their problem, I say. In September, David will be away for six weeks. It scares a part of me and another part of me really looks forward to the space. I know when I spend a 2 week writing retreat in the desert, I come home with a whole new perspective on “us” and all those things that drive me crazy become as nothing. I’m “here” for you in anyway I can support you! xo
thanks victoria… sometimes a bit distance can help us see clearer again… and hey… it’s good to be in your prayer cloud…smiles
For the most part my poetry is true, my real voice. But I confess to finding it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to dig up some parts of my life that I have buried deep, because they are too painful to expose. So my poetry is truth and nothing but the truth, just not the whole truth.
there are some things in my life that i chose to leave buried and they will probably never make it into a poem – and it’s good that way… smiles
ok – bedtime for me… will check back in tomorrow morning…. good night…
I will be thinking of you Claudia, and I’m sure you wouldn’t have brought it to our attention if it wasn’t something you felt safe telling us. Otherwise, the problem hovers over us when we write, and we don’t know how much to tell to alleviate some of those thoughts and feelings..how will it affect the poetry?
Someone once said I was brave or it took courage to open up in poems but that is not what I intended. Yes, healthy to write about difficulties, crises, but even then, will they understand? Risky, but there is a tasteful way of opening up that invites minds and hearts with compassion and understanding, even getting feedback that is helpful. This you can do without all the details. The reader can benefit a great deal if they identify with something you write. Basically, honest communication is the best way to get to the root of most difficulties. I’m told, too, it’s best to maintain a sense of mystery about our personal lives. So go with your gut.
I hope you will see or have seen the movie “Hope Springs” with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, a serious yet funny look at marriage counseling, with some cues that might be helpful, too.
ha – need to check it out…
Greetings! Long lost Sharonlee here…. my eyes did light up when I stumbled across this… I’ve been on an internet sabbatical …. finally I seem to have more time and my muse ready to play. Hope I can join in.
Peace to All
Poetry has enabled me to express a lot of my past, to get some demons out of my hair and at times play carefree with language and words as i think we have a language to explore and bend to shape the meanings we are intending. Like everyone else I believe there is a part of me in every poem i write, sometimes maybe too much as I like so many of you am a private person. The beauty of WP is it allows me to say and express stuff I would struggle express in any other way.
Hi Claudia, what a wonderful topic…for me, writing is strictly a tool of personal growth– emotional, spiritual. In that regard, I try to write as honestly as possible, given the limitations of skill, to fully express what I am feeling — always trying to dig deeper beyond my superficial emotions so that in the end, my poems are not so much snapshots of life rather mantras and hopes for what I can learn to be…
Happy Monday 🙂 ~ peace, Jason
First of all I hope that these difficult times get better . My thoughts are with you. Second, I bleed on the page . Slowly but surely I let it all out.
Hugs to you.
ah, yes, slowly but surely it will all come out one way or another…smiles.
😉
Claudia, I have asked the similar question to myself over time. I was not to sure if I should set aside my personal feelings and emotions while crafting a poem and it usually became very difficult. I used to feel insecure in pouring my heart out.
My learning curve has take me through many ups and downs and now I feel it is best to open the door, let it all go, bare your own emotions. I have been doing that off late and deep down I feel really happy about writing them down.
nice…i agree abhra on letting it go and just baring it all…there is an authenticity that comes with that…
hey there…just got off the road and rushing in the door…smiles…it is seldom i write something that is not true…there may be some creative texture there but i would like to think i am rather transparent…and honest…it can be scary to be that way but then again i would rather people like me for who i am and not some character i create…
you may remember my writing a couple years ago when i was going through my own issues…writing is part of who we are and i think denying it we can squelch what we have…you know you have my prayers as well…smiles.
I think when our poetry is honest, it is the best. For me, poetry was the only way to let some of the pain I had carried for many years out. It was the place feelings could come out. I believe poetry assuages anger. Now that I have worked through most of the issues, I am looking to find a new reservoir from which to find the words.
smiles… i think the reservoirs for poetry never run quite empty… smiles
poetry is what the heart says.
Claudia, I admire you for sharing. Thank you. I think it’s important to share with friends, and though here, on line, we seem to be virtual friends, the sentiments are real. You’ve elicited tons of positive thoughts and energy by your honesty because we all wish you the best, the very best.
One of the hardest challenges I experienced was caring for the ladies, my mother and mother-in-law. This doesn’t compare to what you’re going through, but it was hard for me. Writing about it, and receiving support from you and others made it a little easier. I tend to share the good and bad. I’m glad for it.
Take care. Hope my virtual hug counts.
your virtual hug def. counts… smiles… and i appreciated that you shared the difficult times when caring for mom and MIL
i think it is a kind of a catharsis…talking to oneself a process of healing. if not a complete heal it does let you go of the baggage. i do admit trying to conceal somethings under words that come, sometimes, as a chance not choice. but so long it opens a window to contemplate and offer it a fresh perspective with an intent of moving on or letting it go, does it matter!!!??!! smiles….claudia! quite a thought there. i hope you find peace soon….
yes – talking to oneself in a process of healing expresses it nicely… it often helps me to sort my thoughts and often i’m surprised what pours onto the page..
The baring of our souls – smiles – its why we all started writing, I think. And I know that my most successful poems are the most emotionally open. But – I do edit and censor myself quite a bit – I will not post some of my poems- not to just protect myself but others as well.
And I’m not sure I could post in the midst of crisis but I would not stop writing,
My heart aches for you, Claudia. Marriage is a strange land but there are guides and angels when you need them. All the best to you and your family.
thanks k. – a strange land indeed but also one with the most beautiful promises if we learn to live it… sigh… so much to learn…
and censuring a poem to protects others is a good thing me thinks..
i can only write what i feel. somehow i find it easier to write of pain and loss – a common thread in my writing – partly because it is through my writing that i come to terms with it. i question myself about how much to actually share, and do add details and texture to the truth. but essentially, any poetry i write is true. it may not be current, but the feelings and the events have all happened at one point or another in my life.
i have had my own issues in marriage and have worked hard to keep it going. last year was the worst, but we both worked hard on putting things right, so i think in the end we will come out stronger. i wish you well and hope you are able to sort things out.
it is cool that you managed to work on your marriage – it’s humbling and def. not easy but worth the work..
I think it is very brave of you Claudia to be so open about your situation. I hope things resolve soon. To be able to express your grief or suffering in poetry is cathartic and there will always be someone who identifies with the experience.
I veil my work in metaphor but not so successfully I think because in real life I play straight hard bat ( the one who calls out the elephant in the room )
My life has been so different that others would think I am inventing it anyway
so I don’t really need to hide too much.
A ghastly experience a few years ago with some extraordinary savage personal attacks on me from other poets has made me resolute never to be explicit about my personal life. Having said that I find that poets as a group are sensitive empathetic people and I have witnessed them offering wonderful support in time of crisis. I have even trusted one enough to share private correspondence , which is miraculous for a person like me who trusts no-one ( or should I say more politically correctly has trust issues:)
I hope you will receive all the support you deserve Claudia. Thanks for dverse
and the opportunity it gives us all to air our thoughts.
i respect your voice Claudia and pray that your deep wound heals up and happiness returns…as i was reading the comments i was in awe of this wonderful community of poets….just adding a few lines…i think in poetry our emotion is true…incidents may or may not be…poetry is like life, all inclusive…truth,reality, learning and imagination combine to create art…an experience is absolutely necessary, one’s own or others’ to have a genuine feeling flowing for creating an art-work of Words…
Sorry to hear about the difficulties, Claudia – and I know it can be very difficult to share those things. Ich druck Euch die Daumen!
But your question is much broader than that. I always feel that an author’s/poet’s/artist’s private life is their own business and it’s only the finished poem or painting or novel that we should consider on its own merits (even if it is confessional, there will always be an element of interpretation/fiction/art to it). I find it difficult to reveal myself in conversation (unless it’s a really close childhood friend), but I feel free to explore the most difficult aspects of life and of myself in poetry. And sometimes I find the poems anticipate things that happen to me – they know more than my conscious mind does at the time.
yes – sometimes it happens that i write something without being fully aware of the meaning – and someone in the comments just hits the bull’s eye and i think: wow – exactly – i didn’t see this…
und danke für’s daumen drücken….
I find traumas a rich mine for poetry and the beauty of poetry and prose for that matter is that we can write of our pain without being specific as to who or what is the cause. People who know us may guess but strangers will not. In some ways this anonymity makes our poetry more meaningful and accessible I believe and people reading it can, if they want, choose or need, interpret it according to their circumstances.
Life is full of challenges and for some more than others. Those who are most challenged have ‘written’ this life and experience for themselves before being incarnated, as have we all – in other words, there are no accidents, all has purpose and meaning and while we often cannot change what life brings us we can always choose, to lesser and greater degrees depending on our nature, what we do with it.
I wrote this about the ‘loss’ of someone close but it is generic……
WHERE DID YOU GO
Where did you go in those realms of mind,
those distant places where we, who loved
and knew you, and held you, cannot follow?
Where did you go that needed to be so far
from all you were and all we knew and all
that you had always been; familiar, sure?
There is no answer, only the epic silence,
for there is no understanding when psyche
is called, pulled, dragged from the place of
the known, into the fields of Pluto, where
that which must die is put to the sword of
necessity and that which must live, is seeded
in drops of dark blood; brought to being
in damp, brooding clods of earth, where
cracks reveal the dark lights of Hades, in
waiting, for the certain earth to be torn
asunder, that you could and would be
dragged down, led through corridors of
possibility, stripped, separated, cut apart,
in that disconnecting way of Soul; hung
in pieces on the hooks of probability and
destiny, waiting for the time when demons
could become angels and you would be
slowly, carefully and surely – re-membered.
I like how you put this;
“As poets we can use words like a mask, a costume, metaphors to blur the contrasts and abstract images to encode life as it happens to us.”
And I think it’s very true. Every poem I write has to do either with a feeling or some experience I draw from, but comes out encoded, as you say, different, or masked. Either way, a much needed creative outlet.
I always tell writers to never hold back; to throw out onto the page whatever you feel the need to; now whether you decide to publish it or not, is up to you. “)
Happy writing!
ha yes – it’s good to let it all bleed on the page – and maybe store it in a drawer then – for your eyes only…
I tend to be pretty open with the emotions; however, what is an incident about a goat, people assume is about my child or friend. I also write about the people around me (frequently students) in the first person. I’m constantly having to tell people it’s not my personal experience.
smiles… that can cause some confusion… i think i never wrote about someone else in first person… i sometimes write about myself in third person though…smiles
I tend to write about the reality that is around me. I -write about diseases-my own-Type 1 diabetes and about some of those around me with alcoholism. Sometimes my writing is not pretty-but I try for the most part to make it not be about my life. Some how the emotions find a way to appear. I am always surprised and stunned what arrives. Is that true for others?
Here is one of my raw attempts:
http://ellasedge.blogspot.com/2013/10/over-in-garden_19.html
I hope your colorful spots brighten and your dark edges soften!
(((hugs)))
i’m often surprised as well of the emotions that pour on the page when i let them… let go of control… thanks for the hugs.. smiles
The words flow a lot easier for me when I write from my own experiences, opinions and emotions. However, I don’t openly share my work on my facebook or use any other social medias to share it. This may be my way of handling the vulnerability. If they find me…that’s ok.
i hear you… i usually tweet my poems but some i haven’t for the same reason
Claudia, thanks for trusting us. I love what you say about wanting your poems to be snapshots of your days. This is very important. I do that now – whatever is going on is what I write about. BUT my one regret is that I did not always do this – back in the day, when I was young, and living through so much, I wrote now and then – but how I wish, now, that I had kept journals, written more about what I was living through, so I could read it now and remember things i have long forgotten. Also I’d have more material for writing now!
Also, writing our way through is how we process what is happening, and sometimes the words on the page tell us what we didnt know we knew………in your poem the other day, it seems there is more than enough love to work your way through this rough patch and I wish you both soft hearts, listening ears and healing times.
thanks sherry… i wish i had discovered poetry a bit earlier as well to capture more of the moments when my kids were little but everything is good for something…so.. i just go with what i got now…smiles
thanks for the discussion, the kind words, support and openness… really appreciated that…
Claudia, I’m deeply sorry to hear about your struggles. I hope that you and yours find peace and harmony again.
I’ve thought about this question for quite some time. I’ve been battling depression since I was 6, when I witnessed a violent domestic event. Since then, writing has always been cathartic for me. i was constantly writing and rewriting my tiny autobiography, showing it to mom. I guess I was trying to narrate my own identity. After a while, I stopped writing my biography, but I quietly narrated the events in my life. It was as if I was observing my own existence rather than participating in it. This became my identity; processing, peace-mealing my life to myself, in order to protect myself and make sense of it.
My poetry, much like myself, are living, breathing, walking contradictions. I am somehow simultaneously hyper-sensitive and vertically-displaced from damn-near everyone and everything.
I feel like I embody the paradoxical. don’t know which came first. Do I wall myself off from others to protect my sensitivity, or am I so emotionally flatlined that when something breaks through to my soft underbelly, I struggle to deal with the sudden flash of feelings?
Sometimes my poems are 99.9999 percent coming from my perspective. Sometimes, they are 99.99999 percent derived from empathy for others. But often, they fall somewhere within that emotional scale. I cannot explain how my emotional scale works, but I suspect that if I could, that would somehow detract from the magic and the idiocy of creation.