Am I A Poet?

Dunno about you (that’s why I’m writing this poem) but it’s the noun thing, ‘poet’: as if you’re simultaneously committing yourself for life to something – although you would love to do it for life, it’s somehow got public connotations. A good place to test the word is a party – if you make some pleasantry and the lady’s eyes brighten and she says ‘That’s very poetic..’ you’d be mad not to continue the conversation… So ‘poetic’ is OK, . It’s non-theatening, environmentally friendly, warm-hearted; however ‘I write poetry’ – is risky. Men feel challenged; they know they wouldn’t read your book even if you gave it to them, signed; so they respond in career-advice mode with ‘and do you make any money by it? ’ or even a straight ‘are you any good? ’ or simply assume you’re out of work and unemployable; whatever, they’ll do that English thing of looking carefully at your clothes.. and go into their practiced about-to-move-away mode Women however are different: especially if you risk the full-on ‘I’m a poet…’ they’ll do an instant calculation – he’s discreetly promiscuous, that means safe, so do I fancy him? Probably out of work, but hey that’s always useful in an afternoon lover… However for them, at a party it promises a more interesting conversation than ‘I’m a merchant banker, not very interesting I’m afraid ha ha’ so at least they ask questions and you may well bring them around though ladies in rather look-at-me attire who instantly respond ‘Yes, so am I! ! ’ with enthusiasm are to be very carefully summed up before you risk this claim of poet; it can be like being smothered by an emotional jellyfish; better just say ‘I write poetry’, it’s less committing; you can always retreat from the claim as if it was a passing phase when younger but if the lady, or the gentleman, replies with a twinkle in their eye, Yes, so do I, but I don’t tell anyone …! ’ a merry conversation should ensue… I’m currently using ‘I write poetry on the internet…’ which is non-threatening, almost interesting, and doesn’t involve any commitment on their part to buy your book or anything My recommendation is, try these phrases out at home, with a mirror, preferably full-length (body-language can be so revealing) and see which makes you cringe or even fills you with inspiring confident pride However all this may be a generation thing; ‘lyric-writers’ for popnrock must have all this sussed, beating off the offers of one sort or another. He said.