Poets are speaking but you

are unable to understand,

you watch as their lips form sounds.

You watch as sounds

go by, but you can’t catch hold of

the meanings. You are unable

to judge poets by their

ability, you must judge them from other

things, the way they hold themselves,

the way they dress, the way

their voices sound, their arrogance or

their humbleness.

You like the ones whose voices shake

with emotion although you’re

not sure what those emotions are.

Emotions jumble

together – love, hate, passion, pride,

which?

You try to match the poet with

the message.

You listen to the rhythm of sounds

rising and falling.

by Cher Bibler