buying poems

buying poems is hard I
feel I need reassurance
for the most part – a money
back satisfaction guarantee
it’s a big investment, the poems!
the toll they may take
on the economy
or my heart

I need sturdy, well constructed
poems I can depend on like
Amish end-tables – poems
I won’t be embarrassed to put
out at next year’s porch sale
should the style no longer suit me

poems that do not sag in the middle
that do not spring sprung if you’re too
rough on them

there is no consumer reports
for poems it’s a scam a conspiracy
by poets to peddle last season’s
poetry - broken down, crap
verses - as if you can just call yourself a
poet – lay claim to some high title -
safe from class action suits in sonnets,
poetry recalls in rondeaus,

return desks stacked with
boxes upon boxes of
poorly writ haiku.

(two for one! I'm on a roll today!)