#2170 - the herding of the picnic poets

 

2170

6.341

8.xii.25

the herding of the picnic poets

 

they pass through fire

            slowly, single file

a storm growls past

 

we call all this experience

it’s material

 

that’s just how they take the stage

 

mercurial!  much martyred

signaling what virtues, all at once

each has her his own idea

few do what they say

why should they!

when we’re here to guess

 

poets bring their own weather

 

they’re full of words

and words come out

just try to stem the trope tide

 

some fearless of abstraction

some with feebling excuse absent

and some have been misled

 

who knows where they’ll sleep?

they certainly don’t

 

but here’s fond bottle of the way

and raise a glass again to poets!

(some have never had a licence

some have been struck off)

 

they are the unacknowledged

cheese movers of this world

 

with keys and strings

and raise another beaker yet

 

and launch them! stumble up!

let’s hear!  let’s hear it for them!

 

they come up with things

you could never expect

that’s just a part of the job description

 

it’s like meeting Catharsis in person

some sort of system has worked them out

 

poets make disaster natural

their waters are rising

a moon conjures waves

 

soon the tsunami warning

the earth shakes with muse birth

 

a season of resolutions begins

 

more words come still

some music

they take pictures

feast on rumour

hats off at the club

but keep it anonymous

 

and though the night be fitful

for the dear departed

as for pyjama poets

 

you could not write down

all they would dream

 

but hopefully they will