The Duty of the Poet

The duty of a poet, Is to unlock thoughts and themes, Explore beneath the surface, If each thing is what it seems. Combine imagination, With a storytelling bent, But make the reader fill with awe, Direction that it went. Make the reader think a bit, And see more things each time, To add to what’s encaptured, Every time you read my rhyme. Sometimes to get you thinking , Other times designed to shock, Another time to make you laugh, Or outside world to block. The duty of a poet, To combine a range of things, But really to ask questions, And see what response it brings. It may upset, it may annoy, It maybe brings a smile, But as I write, I hope it makes, You linger for a while. A duty of the poet then, The writing seed now sewn, To make you feel so strongly that, You write one of your own! 15 October 2020 A poet’s duty contest Sponsor - Beth Evans