The Reason For Not Being?

Just what makes a poem anyway?

I've never been one for poetry, no matter WHO writes it, but I just read a whole book of poems written by Frieda Hughes, daughter of the well-known poet Silva Plath and author Ted Hughes.
It was from reading Pete Townshend's book 'Who I Am' that I found out Pete had produced the movie 'The Iron Giant' from Ted Hughes' book and where I read about Ted's kids and decided to look up their biographies on Wikipedia.

I thought it was interesting that Frieda was born on the Fool's day, April 1st.

"The Book of Mirrors tries to let us see ourselves as we really are. 

We should have the answers to all our own questions, but if we don't see ourselves clearly - faults included - our answers can be distorted by vanities or ego. 

The Book of Mirrors examines the ideas of argument, resolution and the acceptance of what cannot be changed. 

Frieda Hughes was born in London in 1960, grew up in Devon, and after living in various parts of England and Australia now lives on the Welsh Borders. 

She wrote and painted from an early age, and for many years has been a painter and children's writer."

I never bought the book to read Frieda's poetry, in fact while I did read her mother's novel 'The Bell Jar' years ago, that was the only work of Silva Plath's that I ever read.
I simply don't like poetry.

I can't think of one poem that I have ever read that I care to read again.
Poetry just doesn't do it for me, although if a poem was put to music and turned into a song then it probably would get my attention and repeat reading/listening.

'Dancing Tree' by Frieda Hughes

I bought 'The Book of Mirrors' thinking it was about Frieda's paintings for some reason, but it was just a book containing her poetry, barring the painting on the front cover of the book.

Good trick the universe played on me there, because if I thought it was just a book of poems there was no way I would have bought it.
One poem did resonate with me though, as like Freida, I never had a daughter either, and sometimes wondered what that daughter I never had would be like, even though in reality I knew there were many possibilities to that answer.

But it was this "poem" above on the front of a newspaper I had just picked up to read after reading Freida's poem that really moved me to tears more than any "real" poem would.
It was written by the recently deceased 10-year-old hit and run victim Thalia Hakin.

I found Thalia's words gut wrenching because I could imagine her as the daughter I never had, but I couldn't imagine losing a daughter like that and ever being whole in spirit again for the rest of my life.
Reading Frieda's poem again after reading the newspaper article the title of Frieda's poem seemed haunting with a question mark added to the end of it  - "The Reason For Not Being?"
The world can be a dark place at times and without a small flame of hope a mirror can be a dark place to look into, as well.

Freida's poem Assia Gutmann proved quite haunting to me, too, when I looked up just who Assia was in relation to Freida.

Frieda certainly has lived through a lot of dark moments in her life, but her art sheds some light in what often can be a dark life for most of us as we make our own way through the world and its events. 
Frieda Hughes and the Shamanic Spirit of Art?
I can't wait to read Freida's upcoming book, a memoir about rearing a magpie and caring for owls, and how they have impacted on her life.
Life is definitely reason to reflect on being ... or not being and wondering what it is all about.