Hey You Two....For A And L... Who Will Never Understand Poem by r james sterzinger

they
those two
they hate the paper
the books
the poetry
they don't understand it at all, never will.

they
those two
they hate the pens
the twenty-some notebooks
the book reviews lying on the floor
in corners stuck
between Hemingway and the Bible.

they
those two
they hate the verse
written on snippets of bus tickets
written on chunks of cardboard
written on receipts for gas, food, more books.
that litter the desk, the floor
like dirty snow, no flake the same.

they
those two
the carpet needs replacing in my office
books, papers are thrown in boxes
or thrown away it's garbage to them.

they
those two
ask me, 'how many more books you gonna need?
how many have you added since I was here last?
you are not quitting your job for this poetry stuff are you?
are they paying you anything at all?

hey,
you two
I'm not quitting my job
I'll work in the factory forever
I'll buy the cars, the deck, the new flooring
I'll buy the birthday gifts the Christmas trees
I'll show up for the family functions...off and on.



hey
you two
I'm not quitting my job
my life is my job you and you are my job
this poetry keeps me from punching out
going to that other big nowhere...permanently.

but, hey
you two
for now until that time
it also keeps me
out of the bars
out of the streets
back alleys, the shelters
with the soulless
whose poetry though unwritten
is also a part of their lives
like mine, is mine