as a poet you must live
by your own terms
write poems
not by instruction
boxed in a beige classroom
but in the open air
whether urban or rural
as a poet you must breathe
hard before inspiration arrives
but it cannot be forced
a sign must come
most likely as a familiar
bird who lands before you
and tilts its little dinosaur head
questioning your intent
because the right words
won’t come unless you mean them
as a poet you must rest
easy after a productive day
even if only a handful
of lines were birthed
even if it seemed
like serendipity
slipped away
