a cold glass of water

what do we want out of a poem?

clarity

directness, truth?
why wrap
a mystery into the ordinary.

why disguise the pain,
why
hide between the words,
the allegory,

the lie. if there's joy,
say joy.

if the day is hard, write that.
your heart is broken?
bleed
onto the page.

why pretend that all is okay.

we do it all the time in talking
to one another,
so rare

to say what we mean.
but in a poem, we have a choice
to make.

forget who reads what you write,
who you might offend,
or what
they'll say.

just write. be honest,
be direct,
be a cold glass of water
on someone's summer
day.