! 'Poetry Means...Uh...' Poem by Michael Shepherd

When I was very young,
Poetry
was written by
AA Milne.
and life was comfy.

When I was an adolescent,
Poetry
was written by
pansies for pansies about pansies.
though daffodils
were lifestyle and exam-inable.
and life was scary

When I was at college,
Poetry
was written by
a chap in a leather jacket
who glared at you angrily
on his no-gear pushbike
as he rode out to save the world.
and life was a cold war and still scary.

When I was middle-aged,
Poetry
was in the assured embrace
of the Arts Council and a chap at the BBC
and the world managed quite well without poets
but life was still scary.

Now
I am old enough
to swop lifestyle notes with Jenny Joseph,
Poetry
means that
a poem's 'text' may be
i h8 u
BUT
it's read right round the world
by lots of people. Like you.
and life is full of promise...

Now that deserves a Metaphor.

'A what? ' said Pooh.