poem of the day 02.06.09

there are worse things
than staring at a blank page

like getting cancer
or getting into a car wreck
and having your neck hurt for days
like finding out you’ve been
made a cuckold or a fool
or having someone drain
your bank account
like losing a pet or the big game
like finding out your job
has been replaced by machines
or isn’t being replaced at all
but you’re still out of a job
like having your favorite
bar or restaurant close
without notice
like genocide or going blind
like getting a vd or being ignored
by a beautiful woman
or being cornered on a dark
street by that guy who’s
been hanging around
the neighborhood too long
like the wet ends of pants
in another snowstorm
like death or scurvy
or having someone break into
your house and steal all of your
shit while you’re at your lousy job
like not knowing enough words
or listening to conversations
on cell phones or in meetings
like being in meetings or at a job
like being sober when everyone is drunk
or finding the liquor store closed
when you really need a drink
like bad music or bad film
like politics and people talking politics
like war and recession or having
your neighbor win the lottery
like noise through the wall
on a quiet night
or the sound of babies crying when
you are hungover
being hungover on not enough to drink
growing gray hair on your face and hair
and chest
having a small prick or one
that doesn’t work the way it should
being the town whore
having small tits
taking it up the ass all of the time
like getting caught in traffic when
you have to piss like a racehorse
like vomiting in a crowd
like finding out some asshole has
the same taste in books as you do
or having your fly down while
you are trying to make a point.

yes, there are many thing in this world
that are worse than waking up
and staring at a blank page on the screen
but most days i’d take any of them
over having that electric glow glare back at me
mute and impotent, just dead
just motherfucking dead.