A Poem Is...by Doreen Ambrose-Van Lee

More than just meter and rhyme,

It's people, places, things and time.

A poem is conjecture, insinuation and innuendo

It's that old faded yellow curtain in the window.

A poem is barbequing on the 4th of July out on the ramp,

A poem is running through the living room and accidentally

knocking over your mom's reading lamp.

A poem is studying all year 'round for a spelling bee,

A poem is more than the mind can imagine and the eyes can see.

A poem is your next door neighbor coming over to borrow some

sugar or an egg,

A poem is the little boy who fell down the elevator shaft and broke

both his legs, It's grandma's old housecoat hanging on the back of the

bathroom door. A poem is all that and so much more.

A poem is the past, present and things not yet seen.

A poem is the nuts and bolts of life in Cabrini Green...