Why did I become a Poet

Truthfully, the question knocked me off my feet Like I was zapped by the stun gun, The question is so insipid, so jejune, so naive so unsavory that I caught myself dumfounded. How can you ‘become’ a poet? Can you even become one if you wanted to? It’s not like you go to the school to become a chef or a mechanic. It’s more of a calling, a dogged pursuit of the muses You have to have ache in your heart Passion in your soul, flair in your spirit and streaks of craziness. You have to feel the pain of the others You have to cry their tears You have to enjoy their joy You have to celebrate their victory and mourn their loss; Neither can you become a poet Nor can anyone make one out of you… Either you have it in you or you don’t. ( “If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the Muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman.” ~Socrates)