I Am Not A Poet

I am not a poet
Although I often write in rhyme
I have not reached that perch, at least not in my mind
I never studied poetry, or even great literature
My exposure comes from song lyrics, of this I am quite sure
The only writing class I took, was back in nineteen seventy three
Grammar thrown out the door, stream of consciousness taught to me
Reading only nonfiction and textbooks, where facts do not yield
So I don’t know the styles or forms, of the giants in the field

I am not a poet
I neither sound nor write like one
Seldom digging deep within myself, I tend to write for fun
I am not a tortured soul, I write for the common man
Don’t look for hidden meanings, I’m easy to understand
I had a wonderful childhood and adult life also great
I don’t usually entertain dark places, or dreaded twists of fate
I once was told my style was friendly, a compliment indeed
Obscure language not my strength, no dictionary will you need
I do not dwell on flowery words, simplicity is my game
I try to get my point across by using words quite plain

I am not a poet
I’ve never called myself that word
Although I’ve encountered those that find the notion quite absurd
My earliest writings were lines of code, with comments at the end
Programming languages are still the only non-English I comprehend
For fifteen years, I wrote technical docs, in my job as an engineer
Then 25 years of investment writing, as part of my second career
After decades of deadline-driven writing, I became burnt out
I retired and never looked back, a great decision there is no doubt
Now I write about genealogy, just a fancy word for obituaries
My experience is all nonfiction, by now you probably see
The world of fiction is a chance to explore some creativity
Freed of deadlines and constraints, there might be more to me

I am not a poet
I am usually classified much worse
Self-proclaimed poets don’t like my work, they prefer free verse
Rhyme and meter are forced they say, with a need to invent words
To some my rhymes seems childish, or writing just for nerds
Others believe free verse, is simply prose broken into lines
With abstract thoughts thrown in, to ensure it never rhymes
I hope you’re not offended, that wasn’t the intent of me
Remember someone said, my style is quite friendly

I am not a poet
It was probably never meant to be
But that won’t stop me writing things, for others to read and see
I typically get my point across, in a manner quite concise
But this writing is rather wordy, perhaps I’ve acquired a new vice
I’ve been writing now for decades, and it’s too late for a fix
Although cliché, it’s often true, old dogs can’t learn new tricks
But I know if I write with others in mind, I’ll never be satisfied
It’s only for me I write, and others that join the ride
“To thine own self be true,” a real poet once penned
That is all I have to say about this, we now have reached the end

——

Linked to dVerse Poets Pub: Open Link #296 – LIVE Edition, where Sanaa Rizvi is hosting

Published at Spillwords on August 16, 2021.