What I Would Do (Reprint)

I would walk a thousand miles
through a sea of gas-lit briquettes
with no shoes
for one perfect sentence

I would push twelve stalled trucks
the length of I-5
for the gift of one
good poem

I would drink nothing but vinegar
for four days
if it would somehow allow me
to carve out a few immortal words

OK, some melodrama here

Maybe

It’s just that the Muse,
she’s fickle
and I figure if I jump and dance a little for her
now and then
keep her distracted and entertained
I might be able to lift a few decent items
when she’s not looking

Beauty’s hard to get these days
whether by honest means
or otherwise

Someday maybe I’ll learn
to sit quietly
in my wooden chair
and wait
for her to
walk in
the
room

* What I Would Do was originally published on Knife Gun Pen on 1 October 2005.