the flip side is you don't have to write poems to be poetic

we started talking about haikus

and then poetry

and then paying $1500 to enter beauty pageant

and then paying to have your poetry published in a book

I put the word poetry in air quotes. I have a sister that fancies herself a poet and some "publisher" approached her and offered to publish some of her work for a fee. I think the guy making the offer was about as much a real publisher as much as my sister is a real poet.

"I think she may write poems but I wouldn't say that she writes poetry" is what another sister said.

I said "That may be true"