What has happened to poetry?
It's just some topic of study in English class
Remember when it was important?
When it was used to express real feeling and thought, to provoke and evoke, to paint beautiful pictures with words
Now it's "***** ****" it's "gay", "a waste of time", "tldr", "I don't get it"
People say it's too hard getting published
"No one will ever see this", "I'll never get known" And the ones who do write with hopes of getting published are either humble and talented craftsmen of words who no one takes time to read or appreciate
Or pompous, pretentious poets who use relatable themes to gain a larger audience but give them nothing of value
Nothing to hang their hat on, a plate with nothing to eat on it
I object o shock value, boring sonnets, stiff forms, Hallmark sentiments  and predictable works
**** them, poison these "writers"
Slice their bellies open, break their hands
Shoot them in the throat
Make them drink our ***** as an act of penance and save this art form and bring it back to light, along with insight and intelligence
      -Tommy Johnson