Of Poetry Amateurism, Imitations, and Use of Rhymes: A Rhyme With Message

Val enjoys writing his own style of what resembles poetry, just hoping to catch someone's heart on the same page.

You just have to play it cool. You don't want everyone to know you're an amateur.

-- Shawn Mendes

This critical rhyme is putting some poet egos to test

of those established "poets", and newbies as well

as they are striving towards becoming their best

while a few of them seem to be unable to spell.

None of them being bad -- much worse I have read

as they are lining down prose into poem-like forms

some of their muses not just sick -- but also dead

while pretending that there are no poetry norms.

"Licentia poetica", or "anything goes"

seems to be their rule defying any rules

maybe would look better if in form of a prose

as for learning to be a poet, there are no schools.

I'm not a poet--aware of my limitations

so I'm merely writing some rhymed stuff

it is more like some bad poetry imitations

but for this bunch of poets I'm good enough.

They tell me rhyme is for kids, and I don't agree

otherwise you couldn't differ poetry from prose

putting a text into stanzas is all you would see

which can't be called poetry, not even close.

Shakespeare was using rhymes, it's good enough for me

and I don't compare my imitations with his classic art

but as for the rhymes, that's what I'd like to see

in all poetic pieces trying to express heart.

Poetry amateurism or number of pieces done

won't make a poet by any stretch of ambition

whereas imitating poetry can always be a fun

which is all just calling for a humble admission.

I am not called upon to play a critic of art

but I can tell a real thing from what it's not

for that I don't have to be particularly smart

thus, egos aside -- let's give honesty a shot.

© 2022 Val Karas