THE POETICS OF BRAVERY

A poet imprisoned for hir views. A poet facing down a tank for hir views. A poet participating in a dangerous rally for hir views. A poet risking hir life for someone else or for a dangerous cause. A poet participating and even leading a revolt against a corrupt politician. A poet at the forefront of a revolution, not metaphorically but literally. A poet bleeding for hir views. A poet watching hir beloveds murdered for that poet's views. A poet hunted, then killed for hir views. I could go on. But these are what I think of when someone mentions the phrase "brave poet." Or in a related vein, the phrase "warrior poet."

What's the significance of "bravery" for a poet now becoming defined as the ability to make decisions that endanger said poet's likelihood of being published?

This blog post is dedicated to Emmanuel Lacaba. By living his poetry, he avoided debasing language. For you, Emmanuel, and brave poets like you -- I shall rip up my poetry books, stoke up a bonfire, and watch those published pages burn.