Duke Smith

unappreciative of poetry,
of anything that does not make money

what though did Christ get
for miracles, for parables
for his sermon on the mount

are these too, because not paid for
not valuable events

are they not still priceless beyond measure

some poems of mine, of other men
of other women poets, similarly
are miracles

poems of T.S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams
Langston Hughes, Ted Hughes

Denise Levertov, Carolyn M. Rodgers
W.S. Merwin, Mervyn Morris

Derek Walcott, Kamau Braithwaite
Martin Carter, John Keats, Wilfred Owen
have transformed my life

what lights like moon light, like stars
poems bring into the world

who needs money for what is already
more than money can buy
better than silver and gold


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
8:43 a.m. 07.01.09