something i posted somewhere else -- on meaning

[Leanne]

I like to think of reading poetry as a conversation between myself and the poet over a drink, or cake, or some such... the conversation may be about one specific subject, but there are fleeting tangents, non-verbal signals and significant pauses that can lead the mind in many other directions while still keeping the main thread intact. And when you both walk away from the conversation, you'll remember it differently, because it will have affected you in different ways. (Of course, in my imaginary conversations, the poet is always paying the bill so it's a much more pleasurable experience for me.)