And a 15-year ban on published poetry in The Stranger collapses, just like that! Bang! The internet is truly powerful.

I don't know Mr. Nufer and I wish him well but was this the poem Constant intends to hold up as an example of what ought to replace the "dumb, bad poetry" from Poet Populist or the Poetry on Buses collections? Readers might want to visit those sites to read and judge for themselves, given how easy it is*. Right after introducing Mr. Nufer, in Constant's It Gets Verse article, he says "Very few spoken-word pieces are anything more than a succession of images: One line, which might have some sort of clever word-play, has very little to do with the line before it or the line after." So which is it? (I also wonder if Mr. Nufer really wants to be drawn into a discussion on the validity of short poems, as his comments seem to invite.) I'm happy Constant will be posting more poems here, apparently, however, only from friends of his; the "dozens of residents of Seattle who are actively producing good work."

*The Poetry on Buses 2007 collection is available in PDF format

Hey, it's great to see poetry in the Stranger, at least online. I hope this feature will open the door to a broader appreciation of the Seattle poetry scene, in all its vibrant and various colors, and help keep people from thinking the paper's name is the Strangler.

It's hard to comment on this beginning without bringing up Mr. Constant's review of the latest Poet Populist campaign, expertly administered by Bob Redmond, but I think it would be best to leave that review alone. Why focus on that when . . . hey, there's an actual poem in the Stranger!

I used to find myself overly dismissive of some poetry -- and poets -- until I tried harder to figure out what the poet or the poem itself wanted to accomplish, rather than what I wanted it to accomplish. The intent and effect of Nufer's piece is clear to anyone with a sense of irony, and I think the poem does what it sets out to accomplish. Is it the best poem out there? Of course not (surely not even the best of Nufer's work), but thinking that way relies too much on a hierarchical mentality, which poetry itself is better for avoiding. Who was it who said to let art just wash over you? Sometimes it's salt water, sometimes it's marbles.

Nufer's poem is inventive and entertaining, although I'm sure it's only a small taste of his writing. This posting is an invitation for me to explore more of his work, and I appreciate that invitation -- and look forward to seeing Nufer's selection of the next person in the chain.

Here's to the poetry and poets of Seattle and surrounding cities, and thanks to Mr. Constant for opening this new door. It's about time.

Michael Dylan Welch

Thanks for this new feature, Paul. I look forward to meeting new poets here.

Esther Altshul Helfgott, Curator
It's About Time Writers Reading Series, now in its 19th year.

so far this is the only thing i have come to slog for. i have read and watched nufer's poem a few times. it is truly unique and at the same time obvious... why didn't i think of that? thank you for something besides music, sex ads or something i read in the hard copy. i like being involved a little bit.