My first hero
Daniel Boone
made the frontier safe
for the army of lawyers
who stole his land.
My second hero
William Carlos Williams
not pursuing riches
while doctoring
plain people
found extraordinary language
in ordinary speech
uncommon riches
in common events.
Me? I repair houses
for the army of lawyers
(and doctors)
whose fees are sucking my blood
who have priced me out of their neighborhood
who are
individually
very nice.
One man, a venture capitalist,
even showed interest
in a book of poems
as a tax shelter.
At night, alone, as the rain drones
I do take shelter
in poetry.
And if I listen to my children
maybe I'm a hero, too.
from Son of a Poet
© Copyright 1986 and 1999 by Joe CottonwoodNext: Son of a Poet