But it's not something
to go around
bragging about

Like if I saw
a bunch of
tough looking guys
standing on the street corner
I wouldn’t go up to them
and say, I’m a poet
because they'd probably say
you want to get your ass kicked

And if I were at
a dinner party with
a lot of yuppies
I wouldn't mention
I’m a poet
because they’d say,
how much money
do you make?

And if I were a
college student
I wouldn’t walk
around campus
saying, I’m a poet
because they'd say,
aren't there enough
English majors?

And if I were a
soldier in a combat zone
I wouldn't tell them
I'm a poet
because they'd say
great, were sending you
over the hill

And I wouldn't
walk into a bar and say
bartender, I'm a poet
because he'd say
it's four dollars
for the beer
And I wouldn’t
get into a cab
and say, driver,
I'm a poet
because he'd say
we all got problems Mac

And I wouldn't
go in a restaurant
and say waitress
I'm a poet
because she'd say
that's ok
we'll serve anybody

And the last thing I'd do
is tell another poet
I'm a poet
because he'd say
can you read some of my stuff?

And I'd never tell
my bosses, I'm a poet
because they’d probably say,
no wonder
but when they're blaming me
for something trivial
or that I didn't do
but I have to knuckle under
and apologize, regardless
I say to myself
I'm a poet
just to remind myself

I have something

they don't.

David Ochs
David Ochs is a fifty-three year old poet who lives in Santa Maria on the central coast of CA. He's appeared in many small press magazines over the last ten years.