Misunderstood Poem by Kenneth Maswabi

Poets are almost hidden from the fabric of society
Their role is misconstrued and mismanaged by academicians and politicians
Poets are anonymous witnesses to the brutality of life
As well as being the receptacles of the goodness of life
Their acute sense of humanity is often brutalized
Or sometimes vandalized by the insensitive nature of some people in our society
Their desire to change the world goes unnoticed by the mainstream media
Even religious dogma does not define the role of Poets
But the foundation of religion was most probably assembled by Poets
And distorted by the mainstream culture
Poets are not just madly in love with the flow of ink
Their mandate is bigger than we will ever imagine
Like an old bridge that is neglected
Poets are always bridging the gap between insanity and sanity
Holding cords of uncertainty and brushing away fear
Poems are not like a beautiful weaved web of lies
Poets transcend the very fabric of illusion that is pasted on life
Transmuting a lone song of sorrow, pain and loneliness
Into a beautiful melody of hope, peace and Love
Occasionally, poets are compelled to stand on the summit of existence
And declare themselves mad beyond imagination
This is not attention-seeking behaviour
This is the clarity that consumes many poets
Their consciousness has been ignited
And all the fibres of the unconscious mind have been revealed
It is true that all of the constructed reality today is not real
But poets have a way of penetrating beyond the veil of logic
And displaying the reality that lies beyond reason
With words, poets are deliberately dissecting the body of consciousness
Illuminating the inner bowels of existence
With words, poets are paving the way back
To the inner beauty that lies in our souls
©Kenneth Maswabi