In Response to Every Poem That Declares Poets as Unworthy Of Love
by Arsema Berhane
They say, “Don’t fall for poets.”
The writer knows how to dress their words up and take you to new worlds
Then become a different person after the performance.
A metaphor
Can appear to be
A cheap and easy thing.
They say, “Don’t fall for poets.”
You will never be able to really have them all to yourself.
The poet know how to temporarily share their souls with strangers,
Know how to make a person feel seen,
Make someone, anyone, everyone in the audience
Want to bring a piece of your person home
They say “Don’t fall for poets.”
You ever meet a motherfucker who’s so good with words
And still don’t know how to communicate?
They say “Don’t fall for poets.”
I’ve been told they’re toxic
Like if Brent Faiyaz and Future had a love child.
But the wordsmith will always argue with you.
Because if melody is medicine,
And that’s what they think in,
They’ll laugh and then ask
“How could something so beautiful ever be bad for you?”
They say “Don’t fall for poets.”
Basically
There’s 2 types of love poems.
The one where your name is
everything
That is sacred, safe and protected.
And the one where it means
nothing
But a painful memory.
Be careful what you inspire.
But I say
If you can convince her
A poet will give you everything they have.
I say,
The poet will choose their syllables carefully when describing you.
They know that the pen uses sound waves capable of turning a soul
Into a saint greater than
Any pain they’ve ever faced before.
Meaning they can speak you into perfection and
They know a thing or two about resurrections of the people once dead to them.
I say,
The writer will forage for passion,
Forego the small talk,
Encourage expression of your thoughts and
convince them to go from prose into verse
They’ll turn your conversations into their next muse,
Then they'll gift you the world and every side of any word you could ever ask for.
I say,
The wordsmith will tear their own teeth out to turn tears into triumph.
They’ll mix the salt with baked bones and then they’ll call it bread;
They’ll feed however many people are in the crowd
Who are hungry to see trauma become consumption
become body become both communion and corruption
For the masses.
Meaning they’ll show you how to believe in something.
Basically,
A poet will love you like a metaphor.
But you should be careful.
It’s their heart you have in your hands.
Even if it appears to be
A cheap and easy thing.