A Poem about Not Getting Poetry

Yesterday we had this poetry workshop in Creative Writing with a professional poet.

I should mention that my poetry sucks. It always starts rhyming, doesn't really go where I want it to, and turns out exceedingly silly.

I also don't get a lot of the poetry I read. For that reason, I don't really read that much poetry. It's a vicious circle, I guess...or at least a depressing one...or something...

So even though it's awful, and a bit embarrassing, I'm putting this up with notes in between verses.

I don't understand poetry
The words just don't make sense to me
I'm not that smart, I'm only me
Perhaps I'm less than I could be
Should be
But I don't understand.

(32 words for one idea. Brilliant. :P)

I like the clarity of prose
And I just lied but no one knows
The teacher thinks I'm taking notes*
"Notes" doesn't really rhyme with "knows"
Who cares
That didn't rhyme at all.

*C'mon, it's not that bad. I'm writing poetry in a poetry class.

Poetry seems quite obtuse
It's confusing as the deuce*
Though a good outlet for abuse
I know it's a great deal of use
For a recluse**
I'm not sure I can understand.

*My friend asked me what this means. I'm saying it's confusing as heck, but "deuce" rhymes and "heck" doesn't.
**I have truly no idea why it says that except that it rhymes.

Maybe it's cause I can't write*
When I think my brain seems tight
Constricted; anything but bright
If I try hard then I just might
See light
And write or read some poems.

*Obviously I'm only talking about poetry, not other stuff.

Okay, I've tortured myself (not to mention you guys) enough. I'm stopping there.

I let my friend and fellow CW student read this, only she read it in my scribbly handwriting. "You don't have to read the whole thing," I told her. "It's stupid."

"I'm more worried about reading your handwriting." She pointed to a word in the second verse. "What's that word say?"

I looked at it. "I'm, uh...not really sure..." Then I read the line and looked again. "Oh. I think that says 'clarity'."

We had a good laugh over the pure irony there.