don't you dare pick up that pen
or even think of tapping at a keyboard!
the best poems have already been written
every possible simile for better or worse employed
each plausible metaphor utilized...
roses and thorns been through the washer so many times
their color and prick long since faded
further attempt at verse just a futile waste of time
anything more - just overkill

how dare you presume to better Shakespeare
the ultimate bard
or out-abstract Pound
master of ‘connect the dots’
can’t you see? - this is the last poem
the grand finalé in a long list of poetic hurrahs

go back to your mediocre jobs
and know that God is just a myth
created by inebriated monks to ensure a steady paycheck
love - nothing more than the invention of virgins
looking for a reason to have sex
the moon, planets and stars -
merely a reflection of our own dreary cities
to keep this overpopulated ship of fools from mutinying

and after all this
you still feel compelled to write
then do so as if your life depended on it
pen or type something that will stand the test of time
so that centuries from now it will still be relevant
bring honest tears...or laughter
to your brothers and sisters
least of all - awe to those similarly infected
so they’ll want to continue where you left off

otherwise
hide it in the deepest recesses of your closet or hard drive


© 2000
Revised © 2017

2,550 hits as of January 2024

07/09/2017

Posted on 07/09/2017
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti