Literary Expert

by Doug Draime

The guy was an "expert"
on poetry.
He was a famous poet &
the magazine quotes
him saying that a poem "can’t be
totally honest, or it’s
not a poem."
He said good poetry is partly
honest and party bullshit
(I’m paraphrasing). He has taught
at a college somewhere in Iowa for
30 years & has
20 or so books out,
& he doesn’t have a brain in his fucking head. But he
doesn’t offend
anyone & I’m certain
people nod knowingly when he reads
those little gems.
Chances are he has never written anything close to
honest poetry & therefore, never had to risk anything,
except maybe in the "literary" sense
(whatever the hell that is).
Everyone has a right to their own opinion about
what poetry is suppose to be,
even if they’re lying to themselves, because
of course, that’s what good poetry
is all about