There is no substitute for poetry
In America we’ve tried sports
Which is like thinking about baseball to prevent premature ejaculation

We have songs
Show tunes pop tunes
Baby tunes torch songs raps hymns jingles and handwashing mnemonics

But for painting and sculpting
Architecturally building
And yes singing with words alone there is no substitute

We have streaming video
And special-effects blockbusters
But for mordant or tender verbal arrangement there is no substitute

We have sex and drugs
And undead rock and roll
But for inflections and innuendos there is no substitute

No ideas but in things
Sure but what’s an idea
We certainly have plenty of things and probably for that matter ideas

There is no substitute for poetry
On the list of essentials
For the practical and the impractical there is no substitute alas for poetry