Anti-Zen
we don't live the moment
until we transcend it in a poem
poets are not anonymous
there are no steps to becoming a poet
we never recover from poetry
poets violate boundaries
we are double-agents who compulsively blow both covers
a good poem
creates new entries in the universe's dream symbol dictionary
adds layers to your personality
makes you cry
because you have been in their shoes
because you are so relieved you've never been in their shoes
the poets audience—has ADD—is fickle—is self-absorbed—is pretending
not to be self-absorbed—is absorbed in your poem—is writing a poem
right now as I read this—can't read—is poets—is the pen—is the cursor—is
cursing at the microphone—is looking for gratification as cheap as
masturbation—is poets in waiting—is poets who will never rhyme—is poets
who can't stop rhyming—is people without a creative bone in their body—
is people who emote in cliches—is people who hate everything popular—
is editors who are frustrated writers—is children who think for themselves
—is pretentious regurgitators—is bored dental assistants—is fortune
cookie manufacturers—is unfortunately not everyone