A Poets Duty

My dedication to Beth Evans For her A poet's duty poetry contest 7th October 2020 A poet's duty Can come in many different guises Depends on who or what you yourself as an individual are as the rules are blurred grey But it will let you know and tell you a hell of a lot about who that person really is and stands for It is said write about what you know so i understand and no one has the right to who or what you should write about that is soley up you But if all that you feel duty bound to write about is your faith in god i see you as beyond reproach who lives a righteous humble life existence Or of mother nature and budding flower in summer spring that all you are is green fingered and watch David Attenborough documentaries Or love and matters of the heart that you have never been divorced I am and will be the 1st to admit i do not and never will cosider myself to be a real actual poet I am merely a social commentator with a sense of duty to writting in the hope of engaging intellectual discussion and hopefully in some way helping other's make sense of my limited life experience Criticising and disrespect is not for me to judge nor not taking on board other people's point's of view or trying to force or indoctrinate mine on other's But each to their own it's your poem i mean you no disrespect speech should come with freedom if you are prepared to back it and own it once you have posted it But to me the beauty or essence of this contest is how it's viewed taken and perceived To some it may be vilified infringing choice whereas to other's it may suggest to draw an individual out into try writing outside the comfort zone and encourage variety So i see or view it as anything but a bad thing as maybe in doing so someone may discover a hidden talent they never knew they had To me i feel a dereliction of poetic duty is hiding faults insecurities bad and wrong opinions Otherwise how are you supposed to get to know me or understand where i am coming from I don't expect you to agree with me i know i get more things wrong than right i'm only human just like you and don't want or expect to be liked Clearly i know i am not everyone's cup of tea come across as crass but hey this is me warts and all my poem's are my sleeve To me my only duty is not to deceive any reader into thinking or believing i am anything but my written word and not a keyboard virtual liar in fancy font disguised