Poetry Is Prayer Poem by Barry Middleton

poetry is prayer
it is a call to universe
a call to a hidden muse
a call for meaning

poetry seeks metaphor
for what life is
from whence it came
and of its destination

the simplest poem
is solemn
like a child's question
like a profound riddle

poetry is an offering
it is like the rose
given to a lover
to proclaim desire

when hope has died
the flame of poetry
rekindles the fire
that banishes the night

like sacred books
poetry is not divine
but only seeks divinity
only reaches upward

poetry is not religion
it is not philosophy
poetry is like a painting
it is a representation

the images of a poem
are reflections of dreams
the dreams are reflections
of what might be

the poem does not explain
it imagines
it records a fantasy
and shares a unique vision

poetry is a finality
it expresses final hope
final despair
final metaphors of existence

the poem knows
the contradictions
before they are spoken
before the dream is born

poetry is written
as an ultimate epitaph
enduring beyond the grave
an attempt at immortality