Eating Hemmingway's Dust

(a haiku) 

Hemmingway looks up

"You'll never write like I do"
I try anyway

Why Write?

Writers write.

They just do.

An argument for the practice of writing poetry

All wordsmiths must practice the conquest of the poem. Consider that writing poetry forces one to make important word choices. Selecting the proper set of letters to exquisitely express one's thoughts is like preparing a new recipe from scratch. One must examine one's word pantry, check each possibility for a freshness date, and go shopping if the right ingredient is not found on the shelf. Not only is it important to garner the exact amount of each flavorful component needed, but all must be combined using both established technique and ingenious creativity, and the result honed with a preciseness of skill which can only be gained through experience. The finished work is judged by its aroma, consistency, mouth feel, nutritional value, and the degree to which it enhances feelings of delight as they spring forth from natural taste buds which have been trained to accept an elegance of style. What is finally ingested must be a work of art which will sustain a sense of beauty in the consumer and leave an enduring satisfaction in its wake.