The Poet Fears Failure

The poet fears failure

& so she says

"Hold on pen--

what if the critics

hate me?"

& with that question

she blots out more lines

than any critic could.



The critic is only doing his job:

keeping the poet lonely.

He barks

like a dog at the door

when the master comes home.



It's in his doggy nature.

If he didn't know the poet

for the boss,

he wouldn't bark so loud.



& the poet?

It's in her nature

to fear failure

but not to let that fear

blot out



her lines.