The Poetry Wars

 

NOTE:  On this 22nd day of National Poetry Month of 2015, I am sharing with you the following poem, in which I hope you will enjoy light touches of humor.  When I was teaching writing for many years, I said to my classes, at least once a semester, “I can teach you how to write, but I cannot teach you how to write humor.”  Humor is a natural quality, and I wish I could more often find humor in my nature and in my writing.  During this string of chilly, extremely windy, and sunless days in Milwaukee, many of us can use a touch of humor.  When humor and fair weather are lacking, a poem and/or frozen custard  should do for brightening an April day.

 

 

The Poetry Wars

 

by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

 

 

Part I

 

When I have my poetic plume in hand,

I aim for perfect punctuation;

but you bring only line breaks

in your paginal arsenal.

When I sit stoically at my computer field,

I am at the peak of grammar-readiness;

you, peering at a different screen,

grammar on in a less conventional way.

 

Who is counting syllables?

Who traverses just in rhyme?

Where are your bards and sonnets?

Where are your acrostics and tankas?

Hold that comma!  Full steam ahead, Semicolons!

Position for the dash.

Are you ready for a stand-off

at the end of each stanza?

At the appointed hour,

I will meet you at Free Verse.

 

Part II

 

At Free Verse,

the peace talks were a success.

The words were engraved

into the base of the statue:

 

“In the Library of the Poetic World,

there is room

for all types of poetry.”

 

Oh, yes, yes,

a lovely quotation–

but which poet is

lauded with his or her likeness

on the polished grammar statue?

Please do not tell me

it is unpunctuated you.

 

 

Best wishes for a happy April day!

Alice and Zoe

 

April 22, 2015, Wednesday

 

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