How To Write That Poem! Poem by Denis Martindale

That first line dangles in the air,
It's ready to be caught,
As if its very soul to bear
Within your every thought...
For you alone receive that task,
That burden great or small
And all that poem has to ask
Is just one miracle.

That miracle is you, my friend,
If poet you would be,
Who seeks the start and then the end
Expressed in poetry...
And using paper, pen, and ink
To fashion themes sublime,
It's now you ought to sit and think,
Investing in each rhyme.

Yet if to rhyme proves not your style,
Free verse sets out each phrase,
Sometimes it even makes you smile
When learning brand new ways...
So don't believe that you won't learn
Through poems that you write,
Enough to prove you can discern
When God grants you insight.

No need to struggle like a fool,
God wants to help as well,
Perhaps reminding of some rule,
Or with a tale to tell...
Or sprinkling pictures in your mind,
Or feelings in your heart,
Because through such as these you'll find
More truths you can impart.

That last verse beckons, almost done,
Don't give up or give in,
Perhaps here comes the final fun,
The precious prize to win...
I envy you deserved success,
Each measure of acclaim,
Yet I've discovered happiness,
Despite the lack of fame!


Denis Martindale November 2016.