Yeats had it right
a poem should seem effortless
words stitched together seamlessly
so that the sound and meaning
coalesce without a hint
of being forced

A musician can achieve
a high degree of fluency
by practicing her scales
arpeggios, glissandos
playing exercises
for the right hand
or the left
then using what her hands
have learned
to bring Bach's work to life

But a poet's work is rather
like a potter's
you do your best to fashion
a rice bowl from a lump of clay
it's a hands-on process
to make it smooth and round
skillfully shaped and close to flawless
for the pleasure of your friends
seated around the table

Like any other craftsman
you keep your effort hidden
masked by the illusion of
an artist's inspiration
it's the rabbit in the hat trick
takes practice to pull it off
the hardest part is bringing
what you started
to a graceful end