If I Were A Poet

A Poem by Zizi Abok

If I were a poet,
My pen would lance the wounds ravaging my domain.
My poetry would address corruption in high places.
The beat of my heart would rip plain pages apart.
My words would unsettle bad people.
My thinking would be deep with my mind frequently occupied.
I'd put flamboyant grammar at bay
and get down like Neruda.

If I were a poet,
The downtrodden would steal my spotlight.
My message will plant a smile on depressed faces but be an eyesore for conceited faces.
Better still, I'd give my haters more rhymes to be mad about.

If I were a poet,
Wonder would spur me to write about the magnificence of creation.
And yet would I marvel,
at the intricate design of a single leaf.
I pledge the creator won't depart from me!

If I were a poet,
Imageries would open up the window of my mind.
Pleasant thoughts would graze on the field of my mind.
I'd romance metaphor and make simile sweat.
I'd date oxymoron but court paradox.
And I'd kiss alliteration to energise my rhyme.

If I were a poet,
I'd be four steps ahead of my years.
I'd live a life of solitude.
I'd be the lonely one,
shedding tears as I write about heart-breaking realities.

If I were a poet,
I'll have true insight into the value of my creation.
I won't be obsessed with fortune,
but would rather be content with the worth of my craft and hope my poetry would stand the test of time.

If I were a poet,
I'd wish there was no hate, only love.
I'd wish people never suffered so much.
I'd wish people never killed other people.
I'd wish everybody embraced compassion.

Yea,
If I were a poet,
I'd keep writing...