This addiction is gettin' costly. <br />I knew it consumed me time. <br />Now it's taking me money too, mates. <br />Aye, me pockets are emptied by rhyme! <br /> <br />Listen, I swear by me story: <br />Feeling burned out last week, <br />I fled from poems on computer <br />And decided to go out to eat. <br /> <br />But over the crumbs of me bagel— <br />No matter I wasn't at home— <br />I scrawled an idea in me notebook, <br />And watched it becoming a poem! <br /> <br />Then I got meself in a frenzy <br />To post it before me work day, <br />And drove to the nearest Kinko's <br />To type up what I wanted to say. <br /> <br />I was lucky, the place had just opened. <br />Signing on the PC with me card, <br />I clicked to SUBMIT A NEW POEM <br />And typed away, fast and hard. <br /> <br />Of course, after postin' the effort, <br />I noticed a wrongly-placed word. <br />I toggled between VIEW and EDIT <br />Filled with passion to get meself heard. <br /> <br />Me watch, of course, kept on tickin'— <br />Ten minutes until me job's start. <br />I kept strugglin' to get the thing perfect <br />Fer the blinkin' love o' Art! <br /> <br />I logged off to get me card back <br />And to rapidly get myself hence, <br />But I stared in shock at the invoice: <br />Four dollars and thirty-three cents! <br /> <br />Four dollars and thirty-three cents, boys! <br />Four dollars and thirty-three cents! <br />Now I'm paying to get me poems posted, <br />Four dollars and thirty-three cents! <br /> <br />So if someday you walk by the poorhouse <br />And you see me in rags, standin' there, <br />Oh, pity your poor poet brother. <br />Toss him something to eat or to wear <br /> <br />And I'm sure the Muse will reward you. <br />But be careful, don't be like me. <br />Stay far from the Kinko's computer, <br />Where you pays as you writes poetry.<br /><br />Max Reif<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-poet-as-addict-a-sea-chanty-from-the-seas-of/
