Justification (1988)

Funny, my way of tending,
in these lines I dignify
to call them poetry, to match
this word to that in likely rhyme;
turning out this dreck, spending
countless hours in my sty
churning out another batch
of pointlessly encapsuled time;
I wonder: why the constant bending
of reality as I
perceive it, into verse? To etch
my place in history, or prime
my ego? Affirmation pending,
books, awards and kudos high:
is that what I seek, to fetch
some self-esteem from what is slime?

I think the truth lies in the lending
of emotions, which defy
the written word - to these attach
the purpose, and absolve the crime.