ABOUT OTIS

I do not claim to be a poet because poet is an honorific title for others to bestow.

 

I merely attempt to tackle varieties of poetry styles in the hope of creating something accessible to most people on the first read. More layers may be uncovered on subsequent reads, but then again they may not because they are simply not there.

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A poem need not always be a rich, delicate tapestry tickling the senses. Some are more meaningful than others, perhaps based on personal experience or a desire to convey empathy or sympathy, but many are written for the sheer fun of it and those should be clear for all to see and enjoyed for what they are.

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A total misunderstanding on the reader's part is a complete failure on the writer's part and this is true of any form of art. If the work is of such a personal nature intended for the benefit of the artist then there is no point presenting it to an audience in the first place. I therefore apologise for any work I have written that makes no sense to you whatsoever.

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That said, we are all products of our environment and experiences, which makes us susceptible to unique interpretations of anything and everything. It is therefore possible that a reader's interpretation will indicate a depth of understanding that flatters the writer. In the case of my work, let me assure you that such flattering interpretations are nothing more than sheer serendipity.   

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My collections have titles that are simple plays on words. Free Verse is an Oxymoron is tongue-in-cheek in the sense that verse, by definition, cannot be free. In the case of Formal Verse is Tautology, verse, by definition, conforms to a set of rules and must therefore be formal. 

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The pseudonym Otis Theap is an anagram of A Shit Poet, which sums up many unenlightened attitudes towards practitioners of traditional verse, which makes up the bulk of my work, but I shall carry on regardless, doing as I do in what is ultimately a labour of love.

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If you, dear reader, enjoy just one of the poems on these pages then my labour has been rewarded handsomely and I cannot ask for any more.