Who are you to say, who or what makes him or her a poet?

I’m a poet because I say so and no one can tell me different, doesn’t matter if my poetry is not what you like or what you think is prestige or what does not follow the traditional way of which you all go by. Although I respect the tradition, unfortunately it’s just not my mission to follow you. It is only in my best interest to do me, be me and travel the road that was given and best laid out for me.

Poetry is not who says it’s poetry-poetry is whatever is in your heart and whatever is in your heart is what will bleed upon any page that you write it on. And if it is in you, then please know, that it is you, that is your poetry story and if it is meant to be heard, then you will be known, if it is not, then it is only your song privately to keep. And sure you can take a course or a few classes to better enhance your gift, maybe even get a degree in creative writing, english or journalism for your chance to concretely say that you are now official.

But I believe that when you were born, that is what already made it official and because of that you should know that your creativity will guide you to exactly where you need to go. So to the people who believe their ideas as to what they think a poet is, should be, should have or do in order to call him or herself a poet? I say to you that everyone has his or her own journey to travel and because of this I ask the question; who are you to say who or what makes a poet? Below you will find a quote from my poem entitled “Regardless” from my up-coming book that to me, says it all:



Regardless

In time I will be

Successful in being the poet that I was born and created to be

Not by the standard of others but by the standard of my creator and me

Because only my imagination comes from the vision that he saw and I now see


Until…

I say, “Poetry is me. Therefore I am poetry…Regardless.”