To Be or Not To Be A Poet

In choosing my career I thought long and hard.
I scribbled, told stories, but got nowhere fast.
My intent was to be famous like the Bard
or other great poets who lived in the past.

I had to choose one who was not only bright
but, furthermore, he had to be a Briton.
I read some of his verses and saw the light;
I recalled his name, which was Bulwer-Lytton.

The start of one poem was found abhorrent
but for the life of me I can't see what's wrong
with stormy nights and rain falling in torrents:
the same line was used for a popular song.

Therefore I decided that what I wanted
was to be a medium so I could call
the soul of a poet who hadn't been taunted
but who came through was William T. McGonagall.

He was a person with a lot of pizazz
delighting and appalling his audience.
A polished gem, whose middle name was Topaz,
dismissed derisions and never took offence.

Humiliating snubs weren't what one would wish
but at his readings an unruly crowd
would make impolite catcalls, throw rotten fish;
a rowdy behaviour that shouldn't be allowed.

I had to conclude that you have to be tough
to withstand the attack of scathing critique.
A creative intellect is not enough,
you have to have an exceptional physique.

 
© Luigi Pagano 2020