The poem that upset him

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My friend wrote a poem on his blog and later asked me how I liked it. I said I liked it because it made him happy to write it, but I didn't understand what it meant because he didn't use standard English. This upset him very much and he was angry with me because he said the meaning was perfectly clear.

Here is the poem:

tickly hugs
sprickly hugs

featherduster
sneezaholic hugs

whoooopsssssssssesssssssssssss
hug
and
whopppppppppppppppppppppsahug

sweetdream songsing
hope you're laughing at your dreams
hug.

unwrap a gift hug
just slow, not swift hug

melting into one another hug
hope this means you're doing fine!

squeezin hug
hope you're still breathin hug
wanna hug you tight
n say tonight
you're Mine hug.

I'm guessing he means by it that he wants to hug me, but he posted it on his public blog where everybody could see it so I am not sure if he means he wants to hug me, in particular, or just wants to hug people in general. The words "say tonight you're Mine" imply that it is directed towards a specific person, don't they? Furthermore he used the words "It is a moment in time" when trying to explain it to me. Does anyone else understand this?

It's a crappy poem IMHO.

It seems to just mean that person likes hugs or, by extension, love and affection, and that it makes him feel nice.

Well, it seems to be about hugs. Beyond that, it doesn't make much sense. And I wrote a book of poetry that went over pretty well with most readers... (Okay, I only sold about 500 copies - but that isn't bad, not for a book of poetry which got pretty limited publicity.)

"Say tonight you're Mine hug" does seem to suggest he was thinking of someone particular, but if he posted it on a public blog, even guessing who that might be would be problematic. When he says "it is a moment in time", that would suggest he was trying to capture his feelings at a particular moment - but the poem seems to be all about hugs, and not about any specific moment, except at the very end. So I'd think it was about hugs, not about a moment in time.

Poems are personal, and perhaps this poem means something to him. But expecting readers to understand it is a bit like those artists who slap paint around on the canvas, then expect the viewer to understand what they "meant". If you happen to share the same sensibility when it comes to visual imagery, then you might be able to guess what they mean by big or small splashes, or by round spatters as opposed to long streaks, or by a certain colour - but if you don't, then you will have no idea what they intended. And it is absurd to suggest otherwise.

I see; he's communicating a mood of cheerfulness and fun... but... I can't tell what else.

wellll....beyond the obvious, that it's about hugs, I don't get it either.

~Kate

I think it's great that he likes hugs. I like them as well.

He might be quite a bit younger too. I don't really know.