Contemplating Poetry
Before you write,
decide if a poem is a question
a declaration, a meditation
or an outcry.
If it’s a question, like,
“Where were you last night?’
Let your poem create the disguise:
"I wandered weak and weary
through the tulgey wood
between the woods and frozen lake,
the darkest evening of the year."
If your poem’s a declaration,
make sure you shout it
amidst an action scene,
such as, “Liar!”
she kicks the fleshy
part of your leg.
"Liar!" she slaps you cheek.
"Liar!" the poem bubbles
slides down the chin.
If your poem's a meditation,
be sure to go full zen:
contemplate the fulfillment
of an unfurling frond,
make wordlessness
a magic wand.
Heal the world with calm.
Don’t wipe the spittle,
let it slide, a penance, a ride.
If your poem's an outcry,
turn up the heat. Don’t stop till
someone hears you,
and someone else repeats.
Don’t stop the words from
scissor-punching you in the chest.
Don't comfort the stanzas,
let them to do their best.
Make the message clearer
with each shout.
“I will be seen! I will be heard!"
Let your fire out.
This poem's put its trust in
your mouth, and you've slobbered
on it like a bone for years.
“I trusted you,” both poet and poem thought,
to guide me, passionately
to illuminate the way through.
To be an owner's manual,
a talisman warding off doom.
We trusted each other.
We handed over our reins.
Whatever its purpose,
don’t let your poem play
any more mind games.
©2026 | K.F. Hartless
GloPoWriMo#26 The challenge today was to write your own ars poetica, giving the reader some insight into what keeps you writing poetry, or what you think poetry should do. I had sloppily penned this poem years ago, but decided to revisit it today with a fresh perspective. Cheers.
https://youtu.be/BQ35OEQhjfc?si=JJcjnq_Up8yPJ73H
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