We argue over the meaning of poetry —
he is from the formal school of
Show, Don’t Tell
and though I don’t disagree
with this teaching premise,
I am trying to explain poetry
as speaking your truth,
poetry as living Oracle.

I let the argument go,
it fades away and I know
he too will soon fade away
from my life
because the argument means more
than the effort to understand
that poetry is powerful —
it can join or sever at will.

I was a perfectionist writer
for years, hours spent editing
one simple line – but now
I let the words live their life
without so much interference,
trusting the inner voice of truth
to do the work of speaking
something valid
on the blank page of time.

~January 2020, Myrtle Beach, SC