the finer point

I am diametrically opposed to capitalizaing "the finer point". It's my pen name. If I were to write a book as a woman in the 1800's, the times when novels weren't read if a woman wrote them, then I would have written under the alias "the finer point". Uncapitalized. The proper high-rollin' society would loathe me. I would relish in it.

"the finer point" wasn't very inspired. I came up with it in a few seconds for a user name on the free-posting poetry site "allpoetry.com". Great site. I started when it was small, though, and now it's so large it's difficult to track down good poets.

"the finer point" himself would be Jesus, not me. I took the name from that tidbit of the phrase "the finer points of life"... that's all I remember of the expression. Figured it was enough.

All that to say, Jesus should get all the glory, not me. Never me.

in exemplo (i.e.):

In skin parted and broken with the iron instrument
On spear poised and piercing sharp, to make the heart fragment
Feet, laden, walking, under which I could not lie
Brow, scarred, or soon to be, over ears that heard my cry
There...
I cannot express to any soul what joy may be revealed
When, by the crimson flow that only faith may ever know,
Eternal fate is sealed and similar judgment repealed...
And, in the blink of an everlasting eye
(Which, by blinking, evokes the tears that empathic'ly cry)
Forever shall they sing, those who glory bring the savior
Via hearts that swear
"Twas only you, Lord, never... never I"

____________________________________________________

That's taken from one of my poems, "To Admit" (Version 2.1). Yes, I number my versions. And yes, I just quoted myself...

Apparently my arrogance knows no bounds.

My humor is very dry at the moment. Could be the fatigue of waking up thirteen and a half hours ago, and working for ten and a half of them.

I don't like some of the cheesiness of that segment of the poem, but I enjoy the first four lines, and the finish. Quick, solid finish. I write more candidly now, more... understandably and approachably.

I got into slam poetry kind of suddenly this past year, when in January I performed a six and a half minute (also six pages typed, single spaced, poetic format) slam poem for about eighty people. Pretty big deal for a test flight. I loved it. They did too, from what I hear. So with a minimal knowledge of what I was doing, but the encouragement that I enjoyed it, and that I didn't entirely suck, I dove into the slam poetry scene. Word spread quickly that this guy named Evan Dunn had some crazy poem (I talk really fast in one part of it, very few people could understand it, but it's for the effect, and apparently it works), so I ended up re- and re- and re-performing that poem to probably a hundred more people in a dozen different instances.

I've always written poetry (if always means "since seventh grade"). I remember the first poem I wrote at my grandparents house in Corvallis, Oregon, about how we fall and fail and sin, and Christ redeems us and takes us home. I cried when I wrote it, and many times since while reading it. I still respect it, because it topped most of the poems I wrote for the next year. Then I wrote one that I really liked, free verse (I hate free verse normally) and titled it "My First Good Poem". Now if that isn't arrogance, I don't know what is.

I liked it's plain and simple, yet heartfelt speech. If my tears cried when I wrote my first poem ever were a river, then this one had an ocean poured into it. I bawled. Ha.

I wrote for the next six years sporadically, sometimes consistently. I always read them out loud to people--I felt it gave the full effect. So I guess it's no surprise that slam poetry held such great appeal for me. It comes naturally, like I should be doing it. I enjoy it so much, and I really enjoy finding innovative ways to weave my faith through a poem, and flop it like a falling cartoon piano onto an unsuspecting yet strangely supportive un-Believing audience.

I've written probably eight or nine more, several more unfinished. I've memorized three more, which gives me a current active repertoire of four.

Praise God for his grace in this gift! And praise Him also for producing in me that which would develop it, use it, train it, and glorify Him with it! (See verse at bottom of page, that's where I get ALL this from).