He could have been a wonderful novelist,
But his sentences were too long.
The first thing Dr. Anthony X. Jones noticed
On this particularly grey Sunday
Was the rope and the sofa were the same color.
The gap between professional
And amateur is greater in some activities than others.
In poetry, for instance, since everyone uses words—
There is hardly any difference at all.
Often, in fact, the amateur is better;
The end of the poem seems better
Than the beginning, the chief criterion.
On the other hand, professional porn
Is far better than porn by amateurs.
When we make love, the place is not important—
But we find love is never enough.
We need to avert the eyes. A body
Truly beautiful is rare, as is love.
And the presentation of the work
Is important. Especially when the poet is a jerk.
Is the critic’s job an honorary one?
No. Ineptitude is seen; then I note it, just for fun.