By ME
A poem should not mean,
but be
was once said by a man,
not me.
But he knew what was right
to say,
what was surely needed
all day.
To write a poem is love
for you.
An internal expression of
what’s true.
A poem should be motionless in time,
he said,
not equal to the amount of lines—
ahead.
What he sees and said
to do
is exactly what I meant,
times two.
This is known by not many,
but few.
Poetry is an art,
so true.
A poem is delicate,
and kind.
An experience derived
of mind.
So read and think what I mean to say.
Just don’t ponder over it all day.
What is here is meant to be,
meant to be by me,
just me.
-JMS
