people ask


" what do you do?" not,
" how are you?"
how are you, seems too intimate anymore
or maybe, just could be
they just don't care,
to pretend to care, but

"what do you do?" well,at least
that could be interesting.
never know when the answer might be
" CEO" of blah blah." or
"i'm the president of a third world banana republic!"
(take your pick of countries, most suck at geography or world affairs)
OR the answer might even be "convicted felon." perhaps
"pervert!"

"what do YOU do?" i'm asked, usually while trying
to get a drink from the bartender or find the ladies room
without looking like i need it. " what DO you do?"

"me?"

well, lets see, "nothing, i don't DO much of anything."
why bother explaining that i'm a poet. that i write, that
i fucking stay up nights looking for just THE right word
the PERFECT word. typing and deleting and retyping
printing it out, ripping it up. sweaty and working on
another ulcer. beating myself up and wondering.
WHY?


"what do you do?" smarmy, well dressed, over educated
male or female, really doesn't matter who.
"what do i do?"

"i make bricks."