If poetry alters the way in which the reader views the world, then it has had its desired effect. – John Barton
Writing can sometimes be exploitative. I like to take a few steps of remove in order to respect the privacy of the subject. If readers make the link, they have engaged with the poem. – John Barton
Poetry is but another form of inquiry into the nature of phenomena, using with its own unique procedures and tools. – John Barton
My obsession with time informs my poetry so completely it is hard for me to summarize it. We want time to pass, for new things to happen to us, we want to hold on to certain moments, we dont want our lives to end. – John Barton