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I do not read your poems

I have held it Caressed its jagged smoothness Embraced its subtle metaphor Wept in its nuanced nudity I have been held hostage Imprisoned by strangers Tortured by their words Scalded by their souls – unsheathed Escaped The arduous and trivial Riding the stoic stallion Of poetic resonance I have been enraptured by words Flowing gently over pebbles Cowered in the catharsis Of a spirits rebirth I have danced with you Laughed with you Healed with you Cried with you For I am a poet I do not read your poems I allow them To read me

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Jim Slaughter

Date: 6/24/2024 10:59:00 AM

That's a feeling I have had on so many occasions, John, but just could not put it into words as eloquently and elegantly as you have in this amazing piece.

Crystol Woods

Date: 6/24/2024 4:57:00 AM

Oh wow... that's incredible and so touching! ... and true for many of us. Writers understand the kind of effort and chucks of bloody meat that usually go into every word we write. Knowing how much of ourselves we offer in our poetry, we are aware and grateful to read poets words. Xoxo

Hilda Greenhough

Date: 6/20/2024 5:59:00 PM

Oh, what a thought. I must use care. Thank you.

Lin Lane

Date: 6/20/2024 1:03:00 PM

You are a rebel of the most endearing kind, John Lawless. Emphasis on 'most' but not as in an oxymoron as your example of "jagged smoothness." Your lines are often perfect imperfections of who you are, what you envision, none of which are moronic. I fear I've trodden off the path I intended to travel. Bottom line is you ARE a poet, and to me, unlike any other... plaudits!