challenge

By Jim Trainer

Posted on

this poetry has been my life’s challenge
and I rose to it
every time
this poetry the arena I boldly entered
and I’m fighting still
I’m not quite sure I’ve imagined
locked doors of academia
and their thousand reasons
to do something else with my life
but I owe it all to poetry
it was my access to the inner life
lit my smoke in front of
the firing squad of time
gave the muse a fire escape
she could climb
in just an overcoat and heels

it gave me the words to rent law
and it drove the characters to collide

this clacking of keys into big dumb night
tumblers catching on a lockbox of heart
containing all the hunger,
the lightning
the way.

Jim Trainer