…from the desk of a poet
Kenneth R. Jenkins
April is National Poetry Month and as a poet, I would like to take this time as a poet to express what this month means to me.
National Poetry Month is one of the ways to introduce poets like me and share our words to the public. We believe that poetry is not just a way of expression but a way of life.
I believe poetry is a way of speaking to those unspoken voices who needed to be heard.
The power of words be it rhyme, prose, or controversial, a poet buries their souls to express on their souls and some tell stories that inspires and talk of life and sometimes love.
For many years, there has been poets who inspired us, impressed us, angered us, agree to disagree with us, and consoles us. These poets are the revolutionaries in the world of literature.
As a poet, there are times I want to either love a person or just dislike a person or morn for a person’s passing. This is just one of the reasons I love the month of April as National Poetry Month, it brings out more of the inspiration in me.
Another aspect of this month is to celebrate those poets before, the poets now and those future poets. It is something we need to do by celebrating poets everywhere.
Here is a poem written for poets by a poet:
the poet’s pen.
o write a verse poet,
to kinder the soul,
to soothe it so,
until we can feel
every verse put to paper,
then from each stroke of your pen,
tells us what’s on your mind,
taking us to worlds unknown
to lands unconquered.
to places undiscovered.
tell us what’s on your mind!
o great one,
tell us so that we may know
coming directly from
the poet’s pen….
22 feb. ’97
the poet’s pen, by Kenneth R. Jenkins | poems, essays, and short stories in Poeticous
In my defense, poets sometimes get a bad rap when it comes to writing especially when they speak their truth and when it come in a form of a poem, until each poem seems to speak to you right, wrong or otherwise.
Like this one:
We Interrupt This Program…..
Good evening Mr. and Miss America,
We interrupt your lives for the following foolishness that’s in your hearing!
Your president has just ordered our young men to go to war.
Mothers are in prayer but not so much fearing
Of the unknown death that’s over on the other side of the world.
The money is getting thinner like bloodshed.
But for only those who died that seems like it’s in vain or something like that.
In cold blood they are dead
And the facts are just the facts
Or something you’re going to hear or they let you hear….
I am sorry in taking your precious valuable time,
On news, no such foolishness, you are hearing in your ears
But it’s hard too dangerous to say what’s truth or a lie or if it can be define
But some twisted definition not used by Webster in order to be clear
And yet they say we are the “un-intelligent ones!”
It’s a shame that our young ladies are stripping for money
Instead of doing something meaningful in their lives than that thing
But rather do shameless acts for shameless dollars you see
Making money the “easy” way out is not the way to do it my friend.
And it’s a crying shame that your men won’t pull these pants up
Instead of letting them hang down for all the world to see
Your dirty little under wears like dirty little secrets
And dirty little lies
And dirty little lives
Until soon that dirty ol’ bastard
Is in the dirty gutter
With some dirty needle in their duty arms
Or some dirty rope
Is round their dirty necks.
So, brother you MUST pull up
PULL UP those pants.
Unbraid that nappy, nappy head
And get a damn job
Or go to school
And stay off the streets!
And now we return you
To your interrupted life
In this messed up world….
We Interrupt This Program….., by Kenneth R. Jenkins | poems, essays, and short stories in Poeticous
And so, please support the artist in your city and let them know how they enjoy the journey they share with the audience, thank you.
Kenneth R. Jenkins is a freelance writer, poet, minister, author and devoted husband living in Savannah, GA.
