"Spot On Definition"

Part of his own introduction to the book of poetry 'Blueprint For Life' by Ray Hollingsworth. He self-published this himself, I would do the same, if I only had the spare money. His views are similar to how I feel about poetry:

"...I remembered reading somewhere that if you wanted to get known as a poet in this country you had to send your work off to poetry magazines for about ten years. I gave that a miss. If I was going to fail, at least it was going to happen quickly. Someone had told me about these creative writing classes I could go to, but I couldn't understand how you could teach someone to be creative...In terms of writing I'm clearly no academic. I'm glad of my working class roots. Maybe I'm no poet, I never said that I was and others are welcome to say that I'm not. But I always believed the suject matter was the key to the work, because if nothing else it was based on real life. People told me they found the work 'unpretentious and liberated','refreshing and alive', 'completely different to anything we've ever seen'. People of all ages said ' I'm not really into poetry but I'm into this'.  "

Having read that I wrote the following:

What is it that defines
This thing called poetry?
Is it rhythm or is it rhyme
Iambic pentameter this
Onomatopoeia that
If you know the secret
Keep it under your hat.
I just write as I find
Whatever thoughts in my mind
Not interested being Poet Laureate approved
If you're bored to tears
And hardly moved.
I write for me not your joy
Simply put it's my sanity toy.
Once or twice I've read out loud
Not big headed But I was quite proud
But this evening I'll step up a gear
Going 'open mic' where you pay to hear!
Rather nervous but what the hell
Don't think I'll be bood off
Time will tell.
The thing is I've got a couple of hundred poems
From which I can choose
Pick the right one I can't lose
Must be a couple that can be told
Without leaving an audience cold.
We're all supposed to have Warhol's
Fifteen minutes of fame
At the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden
I'll have a third of that to my name!

Dulwich Poet 3rd September 2013

(I read the intro before this poem earlier today. I was in the Poetry Library, and saw a flier for the 'open mic' session, and the intro inspired me to give it a go.)