the reading of poetry
is a privilege unequalled
equally available to all
who dare to climb
its tender branches

it can be a frightening
undertaking venturing
into the unknown
nooks and crannies
of a shared consciousness
suspended between
the mind of the reader
and the playful animation
of the written text

surely all of us were taught
that we could never hope
to understand the sacred mysteries
of deep hidden meanings
and the hallowed secrets
of symbolism and scansion
we were taught a poetry
of alembication
an over-wrought relic
a privileged discourse
requiring a level of explication
far beyond the reach of you and me

the tragedy is that we all
then come to poems defeated
convinced from the start
that we can never understand
but all we really need to know
is that poetry is simply
the distillation of our relationship
between language and the world
it unfolds the origins
it explains our condition
in language beyond the reach
of philosophy or sociology
in language seeking sanctuary
in the loving embrace of the reader
it is among the best things we have
and might well be the best thing
we can do alone

i like to think that good poetry
makes you think or feel deeply
great poetry makes you do both
and that is all it does

it should not become a specimen
like too many critics make it
or a weapon like too many
english teachers do

it is good because
it helps us understand
ourselves and reading it
should have more to do
with understanding that
than understanding it