How can I ever explain poetry? <br />To a child it would be easy <br />Eenie minee minee moe <br />Catch the monkey by the toe <br /> <br />Jack and Jill <br />Went up the hill <br />To get a pail of water <br />Is a poem easily understood by <br />A child <br /> <br />But to an adult <br />How can I ever explain poetry? <br />Can I explain it with a straight <br />Look in the eye <br />And I will tell him <br />Poetry Is looking a person straight in the eye <br /> <br />Yes you have only one more day to live? <br />Can I explain it to him <br />Like I have a gun and point it straight to his head <br />And say <br />Yes poetry kills and it kills you in a minute <br />And for free? <br /> <br />Or can I explain poetry to him <br />Like I am on the tenth floor of this building <br />And I tell him I am so problematic <br />And all I have to do is <br />Jump and kill myself <br />And he would be there <br />To tell me <br />Life is beautiful <br />There is reason to live <br />That I am loved <br />That many people still care <br />That I have a mission <br />That I have lots of good things to do <br />That this world has meaning <br />That I am the child of this universe <br />That I am no less than the trees and the stars and that by all means <br />I have the right to be here <br /> <br />That poetry can save <br />That poetry is one saving person holding one back to his senses <br />that poetry is hope, love, kindness <br />it has no word for hate <br />it does not kill <br />or enslave <br />or annihilate <br />Poetry is a decision <br />Not to jump. <br />That is poetry to me <br />And as an adult he must understand.<br /><br />RIC S. BASTASA<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/explaining-poetry/
