Souls Aren’t Ugly, Not Without Work

A friend of mine, a damn fine poet,

wrote, It takes an ugly soul to write good poetry.

But souls aren’t ugly. That’s not what he has.

Sometimes it takes an old growth forest

a river                         an ocean

a six-pack    a bottle of wine    or bourbon

lost love      new love       good love     love making

a long walk          a big climb from some dark depth

a place we all find ourselves all of a sudden, then again

sometimes it takes work to dig that deep

to reach that forest

to do all that drinking

to find that love

It takes work to write good poetry.

It’s easier for some than others,

but souls?

Souls aren’t ugly,

not without work.