thanks to Billy Collins

One of my favourite poems by my favourite poet.
 

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.