"Those who are esteemed umpires of taste...you learn that they are selfish"

thus Emerson begins his essay "The Poet"

"Their knowledge of the fine arts is some study of rules and particulars"

and then there are those self-appointed umpires

we might pause then and consider motives behind
the words rather than what might be found on the surface

which is what people have been doing over at
and it's no wonder that
setting up an umpire

maker rule makers

own motive seeming self
to whomever can bear reading screed
(though some disgreement arises)

as if poetry necessarily fits into specifically
designated and predesigned
mold

for some reason I thought we've moved beyond all this

to a poetic momentary responsive and sleek
a quick thing adaptable to a various and unlimited demos

the maker of poems an ambassador of the irrational
in a time when such ambassadors assume responsibility

for all that is under assault