My music and poetry--need help

[UMDRevan]

I find myself in a bit of a predicament. I'm a composer, and recently, I have been wanting to write some music for the voice. Here's the problem--I hate poetry.

Now, I've had training as a vocalist, and so one might think that this shouldn't be an issue. However, when it comes to randomly sifting through volumes of poetry to set to music, or even finding a living poet to write for me, I find that I simply cannot get into the poetry--even the poems I've sung I have rarely liked.

Does anyone know of any poetry that I should try to read? I don't know if the problem is that I simply don't appreciate poetry, whether poetry sucks, etc. etc. All I do know is that it is rather crippling, and that I simply can't write for voice until I find some way to come to terms with this problem.

[kepstein8888]

Look at other songs, especially in rock, Bob Dylan's early stuff, and some of Jim Morrison's poetry, as examples.

Poetry doesn't have to be whiny, artsy-fartsy, or self-indulgent gibberish that never rhymes, so long as you look in the right place. But if you really hate all poetry, I guess you could do scat singing.

[ms jennifer]

I find inspiration for lyrics in Maynard James Keenan and Tori Amos. They experiment a lot with timing and pronunciation in order to achieve the flow you find in music without restricting themselves to solid abab rhyming schemes, etc.etc.

Also scat, old blues and beat writing may be of use.
Think free verse! It's the best, imho.

[nowt]

Try Troum's Mad As the Mist and Snow, which is Yeats, amen.

Fuck the crap words, and anything will work.

[JSX]

Can we have an example of your music? or perhaps music that has lyrics you like
Also, I do love a good instrumental :)