The Price of a Poem

what’s the price of a poem
in cash, blood, sweat and tears
what experience suffered
how many months and years

what’s it worth to you
and will you be touched, pleased 
will it explain, elucidate
will all your fears be eased

and did you see it coming
and appreciate it’s being
I think I wrote it for you
you are seeing what you’re seeing 

if everything I ever
wrote, thought, memorised 
came flooding back to haunt
I would be traumatised

and the pain that brings
the poem, screaming
tricks me into thinking
I was only ever dreaming

so, what’s the price of a poem
a collection of words skewed
up, down, all over the place
studied, read, discarded, viewed

it’s not the sentiment you leave
when you close the book
that moment came, happened, went
and you had to look

poems? ten a penny
a sad f*cker scribbling
giving his best, his darkest
and left dribbling

psst, want to buy a poem?
it’s price is negotiable
it won’t change your world
and is not guaranteed reliable.

18.1.2020 11:13am
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

Poem

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Hankins Avatar
December 27, 2021 at 6:50 PM
Good one, Neil. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your poem. The price of a poem? Of course, "its price is negotiable." Thanks!
Johns Avatar
December 27, 2021 at 7:01 PM
Thank you again...
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