~ a poem ~
I hold abiding regard
for embracing diversity,
for the import of You Do You,
Do No Harm and Leave No Trace,
and the premise “I’m Ok, You’re Ok” too.
I am merely a man who seeks to be enlightened
by engaging and exploring alternative points of view.
My poetry is about the stuff that’s been pokin’ at me,
An ardently composed albeit unrefined melody.
Bits and pieces of my heart and soul
I pluck from the ether of my mind
in the wee hours before dawn
when it labors overtime,
but before the clutter
of consciousness
undermine.
I don’t suffer writer’s block.
Notions grow like wild flowers.
So I rarely have any need to concoct,
only to pluck before consciousness devours.
My poems are profoundly personal expressions
as are all forms of art and seek only to opine.
But due to the inherent harm of editing,
I proffer my poetry largely unrefined
nor apologize for primitive tenor.
It was what it was at the time.
Organic, frank
and relatable rhymes.
Depicting life’s circumstances.
The raw and artless tenor of our times.
Just one bloke’s pragmatic perspectives are these
without any illusions of my significance.
It’s cathartic and it elevates my chi.
Nor do I fret over how others
might judge my work
or me for it,
for to do otherwise
would thus inhibit me.
And a reticent self-conscious
poet is doomed to idle melancholy.
Ridge © 2023
