Poetry Is

Poetry is essential.
Poetry is shimmering words strung into Christmas lights.
Poetry is mediocre.
Poetry is regimented when set in a form.
Poetry is a bunch of words put together because it made no sense as prose.
Poetry is magical.
Poetry is reflective, as the moon reflects sunlight.
Poetry is only as good as the poet.
Poetry is music when set in a form.
Poetry is the first step of a long, slow dance.
Poetry is best when read aloud.
Poetry is a piñata ripe for the baseball bat of critique.
Poetry is provocative.
Poetry is a song in search of a melody.
Poetry is no longer recited by schoolchildren.
Poetry is imaginative when set in a form.
Poetry is a way to get through the grey days.
Poetry is resting in the folds of my soul.
Poetry is a force for changing the world.
Poetry is first written on a cocktail napkin.
Poetry is dangerous in the wrong hands.
Poetry is imagination at play.
Poetry is cheating on its anthology with a pulp fiction novel.
Poetry is cutting like a switchblade.
Poetry is addictive.
Poetry is stacks of spiral notebooks filled with scribbles.
Poetry is poetry is poetry.*
Poetry is a picture in less than a thousand words.
Poetry is messy.
Poetry is what keeps you up at night.
Poetry is a rant tantrum glorious rave.
Poetry is not a Kardashian.
Poetry is slowly moving across a random mindscape.
Poetry is the smoother of rough edges.
Poetry is an edible mud pie.
Poetry is altogether descriptive of the human condition.
Poetry is steeping and swirling in a teacup.

© 2013 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil

*With thanks to Gertrude Stein: “Rose is a rose is a rose.” I never understood that until I realized she was speaking of a woman… quite cynically.

“List” poems are simply taking a word and describing it in different, interesting ways – not all necessarily in agreement, as you can see by the different references to forms.. Recently, a couple of sites have taken on this prompt. I thought I’d give it a try for Open Link Monday at my pond, Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, as well as dverse Open Link Night tomorrow.

What do YOU think poetry is? Feel free to chime in. Peace, Amy


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