Do not give that poet licence to print.
Trust him with nothing more than a bent quill.
Give him no room to manoeuvre, no hint
of suggestion; no modicum of thrill;
nothing to spill upon a naked page.
Just for his own amusement, he'll distort
an innocent phrase; blatantly upstage
the messenger with elevated haught.
He'll brazenly award himself credit
beyond his due; without hesitation,
he'll tag himself as first to have said it:
“Man of Words” with big imagination.
This would-be bard is just a dictionary,
just a parrot, well-skilled at mimicry.
© Tim Grace, 23 November 2014
About the Creator
Tim Grace
A first impression has a lasting effect - it makes a notable difference. In a subtle way that’s who I am as a poet. A ‘first impression’ looking for the gentle ‘twist’ that draws attention to a novel observation.
Comments (2)
This was nicely done! Very thought provoking!
To the reader: It's not words that commit the crime; it's the choice of those words in combination with intent to harm or damage reputation. And so, the shady area of exploitation is encircled by interpretation. The cunning 'poet' will cleverly disguise his ambiguous message with layers of obfuscated connotation. Using every trick in the book, he'll burden the reader with responsibility for word association. To the poet: The parrot might be able to argue his words should not be taken literally. But, as a poet, you do have to take responsibility for the syntax and semantics of your artistic expression. Your deliberate acts of subtle word-play can cause a mischief that requires remediation; or at least, explanation. Blaming the reader for his/her sensitive interpretation is hardly the act of a chivalrous sonneteer.