A poet is a person whose language
Becomes a special form of
Communication, a message –
Directed words with meaning for
Everyman in their world of “things”
Flinging out new ideas for the times,
Gestating a better way to grasp for
Hope that births a movement from
Individual to friends, to groups that
Jump to join a movement with
Kinetic energy that enjoins all to
Love, not hate, the poet sings
Metaphor, alliteration and rhythm and
No style or form is unsuitable to carry
Out the mission sacred, the
Poet’s role from print to poetry slam
Questioning, commenting, highlighting
Rights denied, inequity amplified
So the message – at first a pretence
Trickles, seeps, runs like a stream
Underground, which nobody can dam
Violence cannot hold back the flow of
Waves of awareness, rejection of the
Xenophobic in favour of the xenogogue
Young and old align in the new
Zeitgeist and the poet seeks new inspiration.
© Andrew Wilson, 2026
Over at dVerse, Laura Bloomsbury in Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft, invites us to write an Abecadarium Acrostic poem for the start of the year…
I enjoyed your Ars Poetica Abecedarium, Andrew, especially these lines:
‘Directed words with meaning for
Everyman in their world of “things”’
and
‘So the message – at first a pretence
Trickles, seeps, runs like a stream
Underground, which nobody can dam’.
Thanks, Kim! I am having lots of problems with my site at present so I am unable to post comments on other people’s sites at present… Most frustrating!
Loved your acrostic!! This line was reassuring in an almost personal way [ I often struggle with style and form ]
“No style or form is unsuitable to carry out the mission sacred.”
Thank you!!!
In olden times a glimpse of stocking […] Now anything goes! Nobody would know you struggle with style and form, Helen – in fact I have always delighted in never knowing what to expect from you!
a fount which nobody can dam. Poets will keep on keepin’ on, to keep the flame burning.
We took a similar stance with this prompt, Li, go poets!!!
“and this and so much more” as Eliot would say – your Ars Poetic so very personal and a wonderful use of the alphabet
Thank you Laura, I seem to be making the same call to arms for poets repeatedly…
A poet is a person whose language
Becomes a special form of
Communication, a message –
So, True – wonderful piece here!
Thanks, Truedessa, I do see more and more poetry that challenges the times we live in and it is so needed…
I love how you call to arms for poet, Andrew! We need more poets now than ever!
Agreed, Punam, sound the metaphorical call to arms!
This is excellent, Andrew 👏
“…..words with meaning for
Everyman….”
and a nice rounding off with forever seeking inspiration.
Thanks Shaun…
“Waves of awareness, rejection of the
Xenophobic in favour of the xenogogue”
Great lines, great poem, Andrew!
Thank you so much, Sara…
Andrew, I love this poetic manifesto to the purity of purpose of a poet who holds his mission sacred to unite people in love, unity, desire for justice. May our words flow like yours to do just that, now more than ever!
I was just looking at the protests in Minnesota, Dora, and I am sure there are a few poets in the crowd…