what is poetic function?
the purpose of the muse?
can what poets labor at
be of any earthly use?

here we sit and ponder
nature's beauty found
our muse will make us wander
and take us off the ground

we soar o'r the canyons
we have ne'r seen
she depicts the colors
orange, red and yellow green

she controls the vertical
the horizontal, too
she'll wrench from you heartache
make you write the blues

she'll give you the music
write notes upon your brain
then when she has done it
words are written in refrains

sometimes it's the opposite
the lyrics are rehearsed
then music flows out from them
and the process is reversed

sometimes she is whimsical
sometimes she is deep
sometimes the best poetry
is written in our sleep

sometimes she is joyful
sometimes full of angst
sometimes she will teach us
sometimes she pulls pranks

she takes us to the seashore
she takes us to the park
she gives us the penknife
to carve our words on bark

she takes us to countries
to see folk starving there
she takes us to ghettos
so we can write despair

she rides the horsehead nebula
she straddles the moon
she lassoes the stars
she brightens up the gloom

she sorts all the words out
in our poor wee minds
sometimes we get ideas
from the words our muse will find

she may talk of God's things
to draw people nigh Him
or she may be atheistic
and urge us to deny Him

but she's always relevant
even though she's lazy
you may think her strange
you may say she's crazy

she'll talk to poets softly
love's passion to want
or she'll scream and rage!
she'll come on in a rant!

but any way she manifests
beauty clothes her form
even though she's naked
as the day that she was born

let her grow and nurture her
she'll come up like a tree
but do not try to cage her
she'll always break free!

in that case you're without her
you'll have trouble then!
you'll ball up your paper
and throw away your pen!

so, be kind to sister muse
feed her goodly things
you'll have found poems abound

she will give you

WINGS!

so what's poetry's purpose
when all is said and done?
TO TAKE
OTHERS WITH YOU!
then
my friends

YOU'VE WON!


SoulSurvivor
(C) 1/29/2016