Out lying in sight

Jacob Lee Knuth
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:43:35 PDT

To water words; the familiarity of sand in your toes, the constance of the tide, the danger of the undertow. Each poem should act as a wave; some should disappear, some reach your feet, some sweep you away. In finding my way with words, my interest lies in making them memorable. Each of these poems represent a stab at unforgettableness. I believe poetry should be accessible. I believe poetry is meant to be felt, that it's meant to happen to you. If I come across a word I'm not familiar with in a poem, that magic gets lost. I could simply say I don't wish to write esoteric poetry, except I don't believe enough people would understand what I just wrote without this added context. This doesn't mean I aim for my poetry to be abundantly clear. In fact, I hope to challenge the traditional understandings of language through my abstract use of everyday speech or colloquialisms. If you know all the words, what doesn't make sense to you? How come you find yourself having to read it again? With common language as my tool of choice, I'm able to focus on the many other elements of poetry. Sonics, cadence, enjambment, alliteration, repetition and rhyme. Find yourself getting lost in language -let the musical lyricality carry you into unknowing what you think you know. As sounds splay in all directions, witness form become a conduit for enlivening the liminality of linguistics, seeking to stretch its powers and explore the complexity of cognition as it relates to our condition. Dive into the deep end of difficult emotions that don't hesitate to tangle with contemporary cultural, social, and political issues. Are you dreaming? What do you remember? Life can't be short when it's all that you get.