Poetry that's shite

[Achebe]

Poetry that's shite

Fat little god
with your siltstone belly
smoothed from the scouring
of hardened hands,
smug in the pretence
of making these mountains
guarding the greenness
of Hindostan,
who may believe you
but the natives of Wan?
The unlettered natives
mangling all their datives
thumping through fricatives
who call you Bhag-wan.
I'm deeply unimpressed,
a renaissance man.
Logical, if cowardly,
and because erudite
fulminating hourly
against going dourly
into that good night
in poetry that's shite.