The Creative Life

The Bard of Arlington dreams through his nighttimes,
Toils in the mornings,
Naps afternoons.
His list of contacts is super-slim:
A plumber, a dentist, a once-a-year doctor,
And pages on pages of obsolete hopes.
The Bard of Arlington needs not supporters,
But someone once told him to charge for his works
Lest the public at large deem him utterly worthless;
The public may do that at any price.
The Bard of Arlington's avid readers
Consist of minus two faithful fans
And an AI program that thinks he's terrific--
It mimics him gently while he's offline.
The Bard of Arlington's friendliest friends
Are the wrecks on the street; they meet
By happenchance, greet and retreat
In a most cordial manner. He pays them off
In pennies and lollipops, and thus they begrudge him
Nothing at all.