To the Poet, Harry

He says to Fight the good fight
which, to him, means
waking past noon wearing clothes stained
with breakfast splashes speaking honestly,
meaning insultingly, at all times,
being broke and letting your hair
advertise this fact

loving men and
women to the point of murder
or suicide, doing it to yourself
without a note in your pocket,
maybe just a message scrawled onto
your chest with a sharpie marker like
'until the old man gets a decent sweater.'

being hated more for what
you didn’t do,
never saying ma’m, never
bowing out early, never sitting up
in your chair to keep the
spine straight.

Cheryl Quimba