Not-A-Poet's Lament

Not-a-Poet’s Lament

I am not a poet. Contemplating inner turmoil;

searching for incontrovertible truths; cloaking

observations of mundane events, extraordinary

desires, painful experiences in inscrutable metaphors—

all hallmarks of praise-worthy poetry—

just exasperates me.

This is not a poem. It lacks form and meter,

ambiguity and symbolism, not to mention

fragmentary phrasing. It may contain what

some term poetic diction, but only by accident.

Also, it doesn’t rhyme, or deploy playful alliteration

so favored in light verses.

I simply don’t think like a poet, write like a poet.

What I do is wait until a small crack in perceived

reality unveils the farce lying hidden behind quests

for power, love, riches, contentment, or just

a good restaurant. Then I describe what I see,

exactly as I see it, in what is not a poem,

although it might sound like one… sometimes.

—Rick Blum

#RickBlum