poem of the day 06.27.11

illuminations

some of the workers sit around
and wonder when it was
the last time they saw me laugh

some call me cold and mean

a few wonder if they’ve
ever seen me smile at all

i’m not sure what i’ve done
to solicit the time that these people
have wasted discussing me

but if my sullen and stand-offish demeanor
is the new topic of the conversation in this place
than i must be doing something right thus far

still i play along

i tell them that laugher is for the weak

figure this will get them going
only increase my little legend
at least for another minute or so
before the conversation turns back
to reality television and sports

they mock me
for saying something so outrageous and anti-social

they should mock me

for they are good tax-paying people
and i can’t remember the last day
that i went without a drink

some of the workers sit around
and tell each other that something must have
gone seriously wrong in my childhood

as i turn away and go back to nothing
let friday claim me as its last victim

thinking rimbaud was almost dead at my age.