We are not wired to play
Merely to pass time;
We play, originally, in order to
Make sense of the jumble, and
To test our own powers to affect it.

It is through play that we
Continue growing,
And it feels good, simply because
Expanding capabilities and
Making sense out of chaos
Are intrinsically good things.

Adults, though, often
Feel ashamed of play,
As though it is in some way
Strictly childish;
Many therefore avoid it
And look down on it.

Poetry itself is
A form of play:
Making sense of the jumble
And using language without
Particular regard for rules.
Many therefore see it as
Inherently childish.

But for myself,
I observe that those who keep
A capacity for play
Continue growing;
While those who do not
Have confused “adulthood” with
Simple giving up on joy.

So write your words,
Make sense of your world;
Defy convention,

And stack your blocks