A Poet Poem by Juan Olivarez

A poet can take you,
And open your eyes,
By telling you truth,
And revealing the lies.
A poet can hold you,
In the palm of his hand,
By stamping your ticket,
To far away lands.
A poet makes you laugh,
Or brings you to tears,
By making you happy,
Or preying on your fears.
A poet lets you soar,
Like a bird in the sky,
On gossamer wings,
He'll have you flying high.
A poet can scare you,
Or even horrify,
He will have you agreeing,
Or loudly deny.
A poet tells you stories,
With magical ease,
That he holds in his head,
All ready to please.
A poet delivers,
Though the critics cry foul,
Whether they love his work,
Or he makes them all howl.
A poet does'nt care,
What the critics might say,
After all it's the readers,
Who win him the day.
A poet is original,
And is proud of his words,
Never borrowing lines,
From ladies or lords.
A poet can be,
Your very best friend,
And his words should be gentle,
And never offend.
A poet will look,
For your kind words of praise,
By making you happy,
With his wiles and his ways.

6/8/10 29 palms ca.