Well-Known Secret Poem by Beth Hawthorne

Writing is the worst kept secret.
It's kept in ten worn notebooks,
Between salt-speckled pages,
In green flower fields under the sun,
Behind closed doors and in crowded rooms,
Screamed in silence and though in shouts.

Because poets are losers,
And authors go nowhere.
Singers only struggle.
And playwrights go broke.

Writing shouldn't be a secret,
Because it's meant for close friends.
Deserving of shouting on a stage,
And of speaking to strangers.
Passing folded notes of careful words,
Sharing mad scribblings at midnight.

Because poetry warrants an audience,
And books are a much needed escape.
Songs are heard at 3am or 6pm,
Plays are for connecting with strangers you'll never see.

Because the world needs art
and art needs the world.