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Book 33 Page 48

 

The poetry trade

 

Man! It’s a hard trade,

being a poetry man.

Straining and rhyming words

any which way you can.

 

Trying to please the masses with words that

they’ll feel like, ‘they wish they wrote.’

But at the very same time finding yourself saying something

that will quite possibly antagonize and provoke.

 

Coming across like you’re a ‘follower’ when really

you’re a rebel at heart.

Being entertaining yet secretly,

tearing the readers overly comfortable world apart.

 

“And will they love you in the end” you’re always thinking to yourself?

“Will they like your words and buy it in the shops?”

Will they sell like cakes,

like the proverbial ones that are said to be ‘hot.’

 

“But no” you keep thinking to yourself,

not if you say things that really ‘don’t amuse.’

Not if you say things that go down like

(how shall we put it,) ‘lead balloons?’

 

Got to say things like you come across like

you really know what you’re talking about.

Convince them ‘well and truly’

that you’re not just some, ‘dumb baboon.’

 

Got to embrace your chosen subject firmly by the horns

and make the words literally, ‘jump off the page!’

Got to create images that stirs your potential customer’s blood,

but of course ‘in the nicest kind of way,’

 

Even though maybe secretly,

deep deep down in the wrenches of your soul,

you’re just really angry about something and just want to ‘change things,’

and so maybe you’re secret agenda’s is to just quite plainly ‘enrage.’

 

So man!

I say again!

Yer you I’m talking too!

It’s a hard, (it’s a bloody hard trade)

trying to ‘make it’ in this poetry game,

trying to make the acceptable grade.

Choosing words to both excite and persuade.

Ah! so many words with a ‘double edge blade.’

 

And all to keep you out there enthralled.

Well I hope you are at least interested by the things I say

cause man!

I say!

it’s a bloody hard trade.

 

© Written by Dominic John Gill www.poetry.net.au  dominicj7@poetry.net.au 2001