The Point of Poetry by DS Maolalai

what's the point
of poetry? once,
a prideful egg,
I told someone
"it's to show
that every surface
is a mirror"
but that wasn't
even right. just a pat answer,
made up
to impress, like throwing away
a bag of coloured painting. some way
to while the evenings,
drinking wine, smoking
and listening through the window
to traffic
and the birds
and people talking
going past.

About the Poet:

DS Maolalai has been nominated four times for Best of the Net and three times for the Pushcart Prize. His poetry has been released in two collections, “Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden” (Encircle Press, 2016) and “Sad Havoc Among the Birds” (Turas Press, 2019).