 
Introduction to Poetry
BY BILLY COLLINS
I ask them to take a poem 
and hold it up to the light 
like a color slide 
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem 
and watch him probe his way out, 
or walk inside the poem’s room 
and feel the walls for a light switch. 
I want them to waterski 
across the surface of a poem 
waving at the author’s name on the shore. 
But all they want to do 
is tie the poem to a chair with rope 
and torture a confession out of it. 
They begin beating it with a hose 
to find out what it really means. 
That has to be the best poem about poetry I have ever read, usually poems about writing poetry stink.
 
I am sure I will receive more backlash from the clique for merely posting it.
I think you should stay and we can continue to post interesting topics for discussion, just ignore them if they try to disrupt.
Not even mention them from now on.
 
Thank you Dave and Thank you Billy!