There was once a time
when poets wrote poetry
for the sake of poetry itself
no slashing of paper
in painful red
no squirmings of self-pity
in whining blue
no rantings against the world
in merciless black
no railings against fate
in envious green
there was once a time
when readers read poetry
for the sake of poetry itself
not to escape from
drudgery or grinding chores
not to run away from
concrete steel chains
not to blank away
depressing truths
not to find solace
in virtual reality
there was once a time
when bards let poetry
flow through their pens
to blow out new creations
catch metaphorical pearls,
set sensations to music
dance, fly, whirl
spiral through
rhyming similes
twirling idioms
build scented paths
to sublime spheres
there was once a time
when poetry lovers
floated languorously
between unfathomable lines
to roll around, chew upon,
absorb, fully savour
the unforgettable flavour
of each melodious rhyme
pulsing with subtle spices
to sublimate their emotions
through the perfume of
incandescent verses.
Sultana Raza © 2009
Luxembourg
