whatever happened
to the hits?
I know what happened
to the hits
everyone has gotten
REALLY GOOD
AT SOMETHING
artists are artists
artists aren’t Tom
Dick or Harry
or Sally or Jessica
artists are…
artists
poets are poets
musicians are musicians
and photographers are
taking their pictures
all guts their first hard try
they shake and cry
from their own brand of
invaluable expression
they are trying to prescribe
and after enough people buy
it all becomes
glamorous in their minds
my name is my craft
I was oppressed once
so then I became talented
WHEN I WAS YOUNG
I WANTED TO BE A CAREER
THAT WAS DEPICTED AS BEING
THIS INTERESTING AND FULFILLING
THING
BY WRITERS
AND ACTORS
and now
good customer service
feels condescending.
I can’t remember the last time
I read a book all the way through
listened to a full-length record
watched a movie
without checking
my text messages
I WASN’T READY FOR THIS
I WASN’T READY FOR THIS
I WASN’T READY FOR THIS
I can’t remember the last time
I sat down and had lunch with
someone close to me
and just talked
or didn’t talk
not waiting for my turn to speak
or listening to the other person
manipulate themselves into
the center of discussion
or ordered drinks
until lunch was blowing out of my
nose
and dropping onto my feet
when you live a life like this
your shoes become cleats
I WASN’T READY FOR THIS
I WASN’T READY FOR THIS
I WASN’T READY FOR THIS
I WASN’T READY TO THINK
whatever happened
to the hits?
I know what happened
to the hits
life happened
and we became
the top 40
every single person
told a story
