A Piece Of Writing Poem by Paul Butters

Is this a poem?
Is it a bird?
Don't be clever.
A dialogue?
Well I suppose there are two voices.
But no characters as such.

No need. We just alternate.
We? Am I bipolar then?
No, but you love talking to yourself.
Who else is there to talk to?
Yeh I guess the punters will have gone by now.
They say those surfers have very short attention spans.
Some might have stayed.

So is this a poem?
That's My line!
What does it matter?
Well, anyway, it's written line by line. Various lengths. Beginning with capitals.
Not verse by verse?
If you like. I prefer lines though.
In stanzas?
Yeh, of sorts.

So you could post it somewhere as a poem then?
Some places only take 'poems', but they accept stories.
So long as they are Called poems?
Yes.
I've always called mine 'pieces' haven't I?
That's right.

Why?
Because it would be pretentious to call them poems.
But what if I get poetic?
Fine. Enjoy.

But is this Art?
Maybe.
Why?
Because hopefully I'm making the reader think.
What about?
About what constitutes literature, poetry, prose, verse...
With this 'stream of consciousness'?
Well, stream of Something, ah ah.

MMM, well, some scripts (Arabic and Hebrew) are written right to left.
This like?
Line this after stop better but yes.
Okay.
You just have to get out of the box now and then, like that guy Cummings.
So what's the bottom line?
That writing is most therapeutic and worthwhile.
Is that all?
Just about sums it up.
Write
‘Til you reach
The bottom line.