What is a poem,
be it long or then short

When in service to others,
to agree and consort

And be it objective,
to run with the pack

Its identity loosened,
its rope to go slack

What is a poem,
when written to please

Each word second-guessed,
each phrase to appease

The critic, the pundit,
the dilettante sure

Your blood for their letting
—your words but a score

(The New Room: March, 2021)