Poets

Poets

A lot of poets profess to be democrats - poets of the people.
And they sell their tiny books at readings for $15. I have to ask.
After all, as a publisher, I know how much they're paying for printing.
And do ask. "Well, I don't want to seem like I'm worth less than all
the other poets selling their books for $15, so I feel good about
selling my books for 10 x's what I paid for it." Do you sell many?
"Not really." Would you rather have money or readers? "Readers,
for sure." You write about people, for people, and you want to have
people read your work, but you don't want them to be able to afford it?
"I don't get you. I have a book out, so leave me alone? Why challenge me?"
I apologize, I'm not challenging you. I'm just curious. I'm a curious guy.
And I look at these lines and think this could be a shakespearian sonnet
if only I would twist it around and put some rhyme at the end of lines
and finish one more all the way to the end. Oops.

the end