"What does poetry do?"  What good
would it be to own a magic wand?
What good is a sunset? Moonglow,
a star, a raindrop, a waterfall? What
makes our breath catch at the sight
of the Milky Way frothing a navy
blue sky? Why ooh and ah over
something as common as an infant
discovering its tiny, dimpled hands?

Let's play a little game. Let’s imagine
a world without air. In a far corner,
poetry sits on its hands and stares
at the naked walls of a five-by-seven
cell, as it waits to be executed. . .
though already dead. Sentencing
began with “different” and “failed
to act sensibly.” Paragraph or so
down, the judge has scrawled above
a shaky carat, “no goal that I can tell.”
No last-minute caller is going to plea
to halt the poisoning. Anyway, it is
too late. What good would it do?

The world in our game is running out
of water, as well. Chemicals masquerade
as food are administered by IV, where
veins can be found. All those unruly
plants, animals, rocks, shells, and
what-all, are fast being replaced
by imitations that do not disturb
by going outside the lines. Nature told
she can continue to mother those
remaining, given she agrees to keep
them tranquilized.  No more running
amuk, understand?  All proposed
changes are to be subjected to scrutiny
before she moves one finger. If all
goes according to plan, change will
soon be illegal. This “Life” thing under
control. Faux will be the new animate,
humans and our messy creative claptrap
phased out, once and for all.  Good
news, humanoids are now in the majority.
What a relief to be rid of those pesky
paintings and statues and friezes. Music,
dance, and other silly extras only serve
to clutter.  Launching a new Ship of Fools
for storytellers and poets.  Poets the worst. . .
Man, this game sucks. Look, we’ve got
lots of paper that still has good sides.
Why don’t I take the medium point, you
the fine? ‘Say Go, both start writing.

What about this for a working title:

         “Poetry Causes To-do”

                 (c)  Phyllis Jean Green

                          April, 2011