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Poem to Myself

Don't kid yourself, my boy,
That your poem will do anything,
Change anything, amount to anything.
That stanza that you think will make it all clear
To the rest of the world is obtuse and besides
It doesn't even rhyme.

No, don't try to make your mark
With poetry, learn to paint, maybe.
Or better still, become a firefighter,
A surgeon, a realtor. Then you will
Have an impact on humanity.
Then you will have a legacy.

Your poem, at best, will make folks laugh,
Give them a respite from the realities of life.
In rare cases, it might change you.
Turn you into a poet.
But don't write to change the world
Not if you truly want to.

Comments

It all begins with you and it all ends with you. Once the poem is in the world, it and its readers or listeners leave you behind. On the other hand you are the most important member of the audience, As someone once said, poets do not write for an audience, they write for themselves because the self, in whatever state, is what is being explored.