A Poem Is Not Measured By How Long Or How Short It Is Poem by RIC BASTASA

a poem
stands by the merit of its sound, tone, color, smell,
how each sense participates
sometimes
if you must, as others want it, they put the sixth sense

the message of morality
and sometimes they even put God
as a divine flavor
perhaps to dispel the evil ants, snakes, ghosts, vampires,
werewolves, the furies that haunt them

and attract those
who are holy, or those who want to be holy, or those who simply
pretend to be
holier than thou

but a poem no matter how short
like a mere

man.
i.
am


or how long, an epic of his heroes,
his dreamland,
a fan for fantasies to cool
the humid and warm air
of the surroundings

if it comes from the heart
joyous or sad
blissful or lamentable

for me, that is enough, because at the end of this search
eventually it is

you that matters most of all, whether in your brief stay here
as brief as
a morning glory
or a mist, frost, or waft of air

or a heave
a sigh
a gaze, or a mold in bread,

you have spoken a word
or two
about yourself, and the world, and about how well you have loved
at least
a single soul,

that will be enough, in fact, i am so sorry, i have spoken at length
when i could have simply said

yes,

or i could have stayed silent sleeping in my bed full of regrets