Chasing the Lawyer

It’s the bookstore

So for some reason it hurts more

I go up to the cabinet

Information

I take out my wallet

And leaf through six or seven pieces of plastic

There’s this stack of books

HOW TO WRITE QUERIES

WRITER’S MARKET
NOVEL WRITER’S MARKET
AGENTS UNLIMITED

SO YOU’RE SICK OF BEING IGNORED?

Well, not that pathetic, but

Playing on the same instincts

I ask if I may use the phone

And they say assuredly

So long as I don’t use long distance

I dial the number

And enter the numbers on the credit card

A balance of five thousand eight hundred and forty dollars

And one hundred sixty dollars free

Enough to buy the markets

And then, after that, maybe postage on credit

For a little longer, anyway

There’s something remarkably sad about this situation

But I’m not sad

I’m just angry