In my near and far neighborhood
I do nobody any good —
No genuineness in my smile
Only gullible beguile
My laugh is an insincere screech
I have nothing good to teach
No service do to fellowmen
Other (obviously) than
What gets me paid advantage or
Cash, or — I like even more
In people whom I must be near —
The heady rush of others’ fear
When they open up the gate
They find that I there await
Lurking like a predator
Prepared preemptive conflict for
Otherwise, they might see me
Clearly — see that all I be
Is one big source of misery
To everybody that I see
Because, you see, I am afraid
If there is no attention paid
To my instigations here
I very well might disappear
Since there is nothing of me
I can, myself, respecting see
*****
Among us, poets are not paid. The poet/editor of this website, being physically disabled, lives at a fraction of her nation’s poverty level. Become a patron of the fine arts at: https://www.gofundme.com/are-you-a-patron-of-the-arts
