Lee Strong, Poet

I am a poet.

Anyone who has known me over the years knows that I write poetry, so the title is no surprise.

But this is official.

There is an organization called Poets & Writers (which publishes a magazine by the same name) that has a Directory of Writers. In order to qualify for listing as a poet in the directory, one must have published at least six poems “in a literary journal, anthology, or edited Web publication.”

I’ve done that. So, by their definition, I am a poet.

Gosh.

Don’t worry: I won’t suddenly start handing out business cards that say “Lee Strong, Poet,” nor will I start sporting a beret.

Still, I can now officially lay claim to the title.

I’m not a great poet. I’m not even a good poet. There are poets who publish more poems each year than I have in my entire life.

That doesn’t matter. Six poems or six hundred, we are all fellow poets.

Maybe I’ll reconsider those business cards.