Poetry Had A Poet On A Long Lease Poem by Terence George Craddock

once upon a time I wrote
a poem about blindness won first...
prize a large panda poster

at primary school
later again at high school...
a few words scattered

visited a few more poems written
a few poems one really good none kept...
a few years later serious stalking

poetry stalked night
after night word by word...
refused to leave let

me sleep
poetry in insomnia...
forced awake

writing a few first lines...

before poetry finally allowing
sleep forced first poems poetry was...
staking out its territory marking

out future claim unknown to me
poetry had indelibly pegged me left...
its mark poetry had claimed me

staked a claim claimed my life; poetry would let me go busy
too busy working for weeks months a few years but hunter poetry...
was never going to leave poetry; had a poet on a long lease


Terence George Craddock (Afterglows Echoes Of Starlight)
Copyright © Terence George Craddock