Poetry is but another form of inquiry into the nature of phenomena, using with its own unique procedures and tools. – John Barton
An experienced reader uses the poem as an agent of inquiry. This makes poetry very exciting, unstable, and interactive. – John Barton
I have always been very obsessed with time. Times passage makes us all very vulnerable and because we all experience it in our own way, it can make us feel very alone. – 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