I Myself Do Not Know, How To Define Poetry? Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

What is it poetry? ,
I myself do not
Know it,
What is it poetry? ,
They said it
And I just heard it,
Poetry is the criticism of life,
Poetry is best words in the best order,
Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings,
Emotions recollected in tranquility,
Poetry is lyrical thoughts,
Poetry as songs,
The lyrics of the heart,
But you say it,
What is it poetry?


Is it lyrical thoughts,
Words arranged and re-arranged,
Is it musicality,
Is it pictorial quality
Or the photographic beauty,
Imagistic presentation
Or scenery natural,
What is it,
Is it poetry,
Poetry as sadhna,
The poet as a sadhaka
And poetry born out
Of the sadhna of life,
An invocation of the Mystical Flame?

Is it of the time-sprit, zeitgeist,
Voicing the anger and disillusionment,
Angst and despair
Of the modern age and modern man,
Telling of the pace and momentum,
Gathering of speed,
How busy, fast and active,
Dull and routine,
Arranged artificially, managed mechanically
And technically,
The vibes of city life and living,
The cityscape, the city space
Of the modern, modernist and the post-modern,
The jazz and blues,
Going urban, industrial, faded and discoloured,
Rag-pickers picking life in a garbage dump,
The trash heap
To refurbish life and its memoirs?