In Defense of Poets

If the shit ever hits the fan,
and we find ourselves
selecting a group to start over,
don’t count us out.

We might not know how to hunt or fish or garden.
We might not know how to govern or how to lead.
We might not know medicine or construction.
We might not know how to hunt or use a weapon.

The poet’s skills are
not to be possessed.
Not to be sold or traded.
They share the ability
To look within.
To see a new path.
To look backward
and forward at once
See the present as a gift.

To build a future
and to not forget.
To gain respect
for the other.
To work together.

So at the end of the day,
after we know we have
done our best and
if we find some time to reflect.

So at the end of the week,
after all the work is done
we might sit as friends
around the campfire.

A poem might be read,
that can help us all
find solace in starting over.
Reading words as old as time.
Rolled over and re-rhymed.
For the heart of mankind.