Do Tell

Implored, and more than once, to show, not tell,
I nonetheless avoid all ASCII art,
preferring both to punctuate and spell,
and pry unruly paragraphs apart.

I struggle, still, with this unbidden rule.
Since pictures may be worth their weight in gold,
the alphabet, once man's most trusted tool --
has fallen out of favor, gotten old.

Is there some tongue in cheek to my response?
Hope I've not bitten more than I can chew,
and this -- though no Petrarchan Renaissance --
is where the couplet bids to say adieu.

Treat "show, don't tell" as something short of scripture,
though everything you write should paint a picture.