<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-size: 18px;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-weight: bold; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Official Licensed Poet</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">I go to the hiring hall for poets</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">but a bouncer at the door demands to see my license.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">“What license?” I ask.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Don’t play dumb,</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"> he says. </span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">No license, no entry.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">“But I’m a poet,” I say.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Lemme ask,</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"> he says. </span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">You got poems in the New Yorker?</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">“No,” I say.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">You got the MFA?</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">“No.”</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">You got awards? Prizes?</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">“Just a bowling trophy,” I say. “How do I get a license?”</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">You got to take classes, conferences, workshops taught</span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">by Official Poetry Teachers. Then, the license.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">So: no hire, I’m illegit.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Oh well. The pay was </span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">shit</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">I keep the day job. Go around the city. Open mics.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Reciting poems to small groups.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Out loud. For free.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">The audiences, they never ask to see a license.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">After the reading a few men, always men,</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">come up to me and say</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">I don’t really like poetry but I like your stuff.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Always, they call it </span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">stuff.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Women say they like it, too, but without</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">the disclaimer and they don’t call it stuff.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Face it, guys are uncomfortable with poetry.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Me, too.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">I find a wise woman. She’s got the MFA,</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">the publications, the awards.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">An Official Licensed Poet if ever there be.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">She says, </span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">I met that same bouncer.</span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Everybody meets the bouncer.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">She walks with me to the Hiring Hall.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">The bouncer blocks the door.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">With a quick move, martial art,</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">she flips the bouncer to the floor.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">She says, </span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">A poet is a verb, not a noun.</span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">A person writing a poem is a poet.</span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">A person not writing a poem is something else.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">You’ll find her poems in anthologies of Great Lit.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">She says, </span><span class="s4" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">By the way, the pay is still shit.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">So listen, bouncer: I write stuff, therefore I am.</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><br></span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: "Open Sans"; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">My license. Now scram.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-size: 18px;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-size: 18px;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">- Joe Cottonwood</span></p><br><div dir="ltr">Sent from the imaginal realm.</div></body></html>