*****

Recorded Reading (2:51): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z8b5ean3u06xszaezes08/Everyday-Excuse.mp3?rlkey=ridyb6sjns4sdcfdvdqiv4gyz&dl=0

*****

Everyday Excuse

Every day there’s an excuse
Not to serve the waiting Muse
If to any gave I in
Never even would begin
No, not scratch the surface, near
Of all accomplished just last year

So many manuscripts review
(Subscribed to eight hundred of you!)
Those counted before I begin
To crawl the fertile Web and win
Joys, insights, good instructions, tools
From finest of those People’s Schools

Have altruistically sprung up
Soon as their authors were let up
From under need somehow infer
What godlike editors prefer
With whom they had better put up
Or lose their publisher!

— And forward them to readers who
Love the love in them to view
Love to love the beauty, too
And wisdoms which assist them to
Better play each destined role
In living service of the Whole

Every day, distractions are
Numerous the way to bar
To the good accomplishment
By my destiny were meant ~
Every night, excuses to
Instead some television view,

Perhaps, if it is not too late
In life, to find myself a date,
Spend some time upon the town
Think of nothing but my own
Pleasure only pleasure to
Rather than for purpose too

You find me hunched my Android o’er
Above, below, behind, before
Perched beside the public way
Or at a sidewalk cafe
(To be sure, not ord’ring much)
Lost amid the touch

Feathery wings the Muses of
Whispering the truths of love
So quietly none else can hear
Into this attending ear
Though to many near it seem
I’m lifted by no lofty dream

Looking exactly the same
As players of a video game
Or commentors Facebook upon
Some subject mislabeled as fun
But given its right name would be:
Destructive triviality

Yet, close within this different eye
A tear seeks oft escape to try
For all the souls surrounding me
Whose pain it can so clearly see
Nor reach to help in any way
But what my poetry can say

So I sit each evening long
Working on another song
Hoping by this wise to be
Contributive to society
Hoping that good energy
For focused work comes back to me

*****

Until removal of the stalker/targeter/vandal/arsonist following her allows her to approach any landlord ~ even for a private parking space ~ and to begin once again to create professional connections and to rebuild her life, this poet presently lives homeless and at a fraction of her nation’s poverty level.

Arts patrons may visit http://www.UgiftABLE.com , using code #72D-31S, or choose to send a personal check to the poet’s ABLE account. It takes about two weeks for the poet to be notified of your patronage.

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