A Writer's Notebook, Day Nine-Hundred-And-Twenty-Five

One of my natural inclinations as a poet is towards cleverness.  This can be a strength, and there are many poets who utilize this kind of humorous approach, but I also realize that, for me, it can become a way to hide.  It is easy to go towards a clever response instead of one that is more sincere, which may be more revealing or risky.  It is a natural instinct, I suppose, but it is also something I need to move beyond.  I know that I will always have those elements in my work, but I need to learn ways of using those tools in new ways, not to cover up where I am uncomfortable being straightforward. 

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