the poets should go back to work

everyone else should stay home

or take a dog for a walk in the park

the poets have never earned their keep

let 'em work now

or we can round 'em all up and put 'em

in cages like in texas or china

we'll show 'em what isolation's like

there goes a cardinal on the forsythia

what a clash of red and yellow

this ain't no exercise

the rain's washing the gutters

but the trash is left behind

there's a mountain of medical waste

hiding in some hollow

if you have nightmares

wear latex gloves to bed

the poets should stop feeling sorry for themselves

not everyone's charles bukowski

     and anyway

     the liquor stores are closed

your jeans are looking thread-bare

dream up a few lines

and shout it out

in front of the dollar general

let the poets go back to work

     damn it

     everyone else

     keep a distance

--- e b bortz