An Interview with an Astonishing Poet: Poetry, Money, and More

Forever is as ever does
Ever is as ever was
Never close as forever
Forever closes into ever

That's just a glimpse at what this young man has to offer to the world of poetry. As you all know, the classification of whether or not a poem is "good" or not, lies within personal opinion, more so than factual information. As with any form of art, there will always be those who find some good in it, and those critics, who assume they could have done better. Taking a closer look into this fantasy world of modern art and literature, let's start to unravel just what it is that this particular poet is trying to get across in his words. Is it pain that he's already experienced, or could it be something even deeper?
Ethan is not a very well known person. He is only 17 years old and comes from a small town, in the eastern part of Georgia, called Wrens. Much like any small town, it has a few stores, a vast majority of farm lands, and it's secret talents. It is in such a place, that we find the most unlikely of people. I got the chance to meet this young man. After viewing his poetry from his blog ( Poetry, Money, and More ), I became intrigued, and wanted to know more about this young man, and just what it was that he was talking about in all of these poems that seem to be interconnected in some way. I sent him an email, telling him that I wanted to conduct an interview with him. Upon asking who I was, I explained to him that I was simply a fan of his poetry, who wanted to know more about him. We met up one sunny afternoon, and started chatting. As I was questioning him, he merely sat there, guitar in hand, cigarette pressed between his lips, with an emotionless face, staring back at me, mumbling his answers. Here is how it went.

Me : So Ethan, how long have you lived here in Wrens, Ga?

Ethan: Too long. Why do you ask?

Me : Just trying to get a better feel for who it is that you really are. What makes you, you.

Ethan : And why is it that you care?

Me : Because I found your poetry on line, and it captivated me.

Ethan : Glad to know your easily amused.

Me : Anyway, what would you say is the motivation behind most of your poems? I mean you did write these yourself didn't you?

Ethan : Yes, I wrote them. Is that such a hard concept to grasp? I'm a guy living in a small town, does that then mean that I'm incapable of being anything other
than a small time person? I have hopes and dreams too you know. I don't want to die in this place. I write to express that feeling most of all.

Me : So you would say that you hate Wrens, Ga?

Ethan : As much as anybody hates where they live, I guess. The grass is always greener on the other side, you know. I just guess it's probably just dirt and wind in this part of the world.

Me : So you're saying that Wrens is dead? It's a dried up place?

Ethan : Yes

Me : So tell me more about your poetry. What do you mean in some of these poems you write?

Ethan : What poem?

Me : The poems on your blog.

Ethan : I have a lot of poems. Which one are you referring to specifically?

Me : Pleasure, Pain and Back Again. What would you say that poem is about? It seems to me it's about love? Is there a love that has gone wrong in your life?

Ethan : That poem is unique. I wrote it about someone I know, but from my perspective. It was really kind of a letter written to someone. They understood the message.

Me : And who exactly is this person that you speak of?

Ethan : Look, I don't really know you, and I have a lot of, I guess you would call it, "trust issues" So let's not get to personal.

Me : Okay, but wouldn't you say that posting a poem like that in your blog is getting rather personal with your readers?

Ethan : No, because, as far as I can tell, it confuses you. My part is done.

Me : I don't understand. What do you mean your part is done?

Ethan : Most of my poems, as you would call them, are songs. A few, are just poems, but most of them are songs. When I write a song, it is very personal. Music to me, is a kind of way to let all of my inner feelings out. If I don't disguise the words, everybody would know exactly what it is that I'm thinking. That wouldn't be very beneficial to me. If someone knew your thoughts, would that make you feel secure?

Me : I guess not, and oddly enough, I know what you mean by that.

Me : Now, what would you say that your poem, or well, I guess It would be your song, "There For You" is about? The opening line, "Anthrax in a bag, Not quite what you'd expect" What is that supposed to mean?

Ethan : (Laughs) That song is, simply put, about everything that you're not supposed to do, or so says morality. Think of it this way. What if all of those anti-drug campaigns ended up in the government selling cocaine to people, in little baggies, but instead of cocaine, it was anthrax, or ever worse, if the anti-smoking committees decided to dump human blood all over the tobacco that goes into cigarettes. What if MADD decided, that in order to stop drunk driving, the went around and added some cyanide to beer, just to further enforce their point of view that alcohol is bad for you. It's about the steps that I believe people would take, if they could, to make you do what they want you to do. Even if that means killing a few people to get their way. Who would be the real criminal there? The user, buying what they thought was cocaine, or the government administering anthrax to them, knowing that they were going to put it up their nose?

Me : Wow! And you put all of that into a song? It seems to me though, as if that was all a bunch of "What Ifs" Is there any proof of any of that happening?

Ethan : This whole world is nothing but a slew of "What ifs" and "How abouts"

Me : What do you mean by that? Are you referring to the reoccurring pattern of "Nothing is Real" that is scattered throughout your songs?

Ethan : Exactly. If you really think about it, and break everything down far enough, nothing is real. Just think about it, The grass is green. Why? Because somebody told you that it was. The sky is blue because that's the way God or whoever made it that way. Your perception of everything is nothing more than an influence. You've been programmed by everyone around you, that certain things are certain ways. When I touch this wall, (He touches the wall next to him) My brain tells me, this is flat, hard, and vertical, but what does that really mean? Flat could be a number of things right? No. Flat is a word, nothing more than letters put together a certain way, with meaning attached. And all a letter is, is a line on a piece of paper.

Me : So you honestly believe that nothing is actually here?

Ethan : It's not. It's all in how you perceive it. That desk over there, when you look at it, all you see is a desk. But what is it really? It's molecules, compacted together to form what we call a "desk". If those molecules drifted apart, would it really be anything?

Me : No, I don't guess so, but...

Ethan : Exactly, and what about you? If the molecular bonds holding you together just suddenly stopped holding, would you still be you?

Me : Okay, I get what you're saying, but you're still going on a bunch of "What Ifs"

Ethan : That's all that I can go on, Because I don't look at things the way most people do. I don't care what is actually happening or what actually is, because that's boring. The possibilities of "What If" is what fascinates me. What if you're not real? What if you're just a figment of my imagination? What if I'm just a figment of your imagination? Of course that's not the case realistically, but what if? And if that's so, then what does that mean?

Me : I can see you're a little out there, but I don't mean that in a demeaning way, you obviously are a very intelligent individual.

Ethan : You're just not open man.

Me : Well, I've enjoyed this interview, and it has been rather insightful for me. Is there anything else that you'd like to say before I go?

Ethan : No

All in all, my visit with Ethan was a very odd one, to say the least. He informed me of his views on the world and let me in a little bit, on why I find his words so wonderful. He obviously has a very livid imagination. If you haven't already, check out his poems at http://poeticmoney.blogspot.com. The title ( Poetry, Money, and More ) comes from the fact, that he is in a very tight spot right now. At the bottom of his blog, you'll notice the disclaimer, which has a link to the Ripoff Report that he filed against Title Bucks, for stealing his daughters cremated remains. Interesting stuff. Again that URL is http://poeticmoney.blogspot.com. If you are at all interested in poetry, I would give it a look.