What Good is a Poem, Anyway?

If I told you a poem can be a home
Would you believe me?
I know, that doesn’t make any literal sense.
It’s only words.
But what if tell you that these line breaks
Are like a garden gate, a pause between
This moment
And all the things to come —
Can you then hear the hinges creaking
As the gate swings open?
Do you see the flowers
Nodding in welcome
As we walk down this path
Of carefully chosen words?

A bigger line break this time. A longer pause.
Can you see the home
We are building together,
By sharing our imaginations in this moment?
Open the door.
You don’t need a key to unlock it.
Just reach out —
And step inside.
In this new room,
Close your eyes for a moment, and listen—

A poem can be a silent song
I share with you.
I bring the words,
You provide the melody.
You and me.
The empty space on this page.
An open door.
A song floating through.

A poem can be a dance.
It can follow you anywhere
You need to go.

Or it might lead you
Somewhere new.

Leave, stay,
Lead, follow —

A poem can be a home
You let live inside of you, if you want.
Somewhere to return to.
Somewhere to remember.

And if you can’t find a poem that fits you?

Write your own.
Listen to your own quiet voice.
One word, then the next.
Cross out what’s not needed,
What’s out of place:

A poem is what remains.