Poetry, Anyone? Poem by Amelie Ison

-To my friends (who are not poets)

How can you not be a poet?
Let me understand:
How can you not want to write?
Why don't you have a pen in your hand?

Don't get me wrong (I know
Everyone is unique) but why, why
Would you not want to be a poet
With all that it brings?

See, all my friends like such different things:
One is an artist, one likes to sew,
Another is a writer—but just not like me:
She doesn't like poetry (It's not her thing) —

And I've never forced a soul
To like the exact things I like,
But this is just a curious question:
I want to know what it's like

To not like poetry
And not want to write.
I couldn't imagine my life without these;
They're what my life's all about.

I don't know what I'd do without poetry—
My poems are pieces of my soul,
Collected together
To form a jigsaw puzzle of sorts.

Without this, I think my life would be
So dark. I wouldn't want to be
Without poetry;
It consumes my every waking thought.

So, I revisit my earlier question:
How can you not be a poet?
What's not to like?
With poetry, you'll be happy forever,

Just like me. I think.