by Chris Farago.
find a worthy cause and become its poet
you are now the voice of Ukrainian independence,
of bowel cancer, of pedestrian safety
write with gravitas, wear double-breasted suits,
and enunciate, enunciate, enunciate!
take solace in your solitude,
for yours is a rarefied air;
remember to mention john lennon in all your interviews
use capitals sparingly, punctuation haphazardly
you are a man of grand ideas
these trivialities are beneath you
hug bono when you meet
kiss him on the cheek when you leave
let your hair grow wild let your nails grow long
let your teeth be stained by coffee and wine
communicate with the world only via
leaked interoffice memos to yourself
(for being a famous poet does not pay the bills
and you must keep your desk your letter-
opener your novelty mug your swivelchair)
become twice as prolific
keeping half of what you write
for future generations to learn from to profit from
live the life of a subsistence farmer
to show the world you care
eat scraps like a mongrel dog
grow old before your time
be a wise 40 yr old in a room of 20s
make a list of last words
say them all to different people
just to leave the compilers from bartlett’s
guessing