Could I just say—
in my defence,
that I am what I am,
and that is a ham poet.
Not ‘ham’ as in the porcine definition,
but ‘ham’ as in ‘ham actor’.
Taking this factor
into account
amounts to not a lot.
Therefore, should you wish
to define me as a cold fish
just remember that I am swimming
in the poetry sea,
and care not to be served up
upon a dish.