Career Counseling

They told me not to write for a living,

to do it for no one but me.

I never heard anyone say to the preacher

His sermons should only be written for him,

Find a congregation to listen

By preaching submission to birds.

I never heard anyone say to the teacher

Her lessons should only be written for her,

Find a classroom to listen

By teaching addition to herds.

For years now I’ve written

These words on a page,

And nobody reads them but me.

For years now I’ve kept the words hidden

For everyone knows they’re a joke at best

Something unreal from a past we rejected.

Now I sit in the dark,

Drink scotch from the bottle

These are the things I do for me.

I don’t conquer the demons for free.