free

*
Rich poets like Louse Glukk and Friedrich Seedle and Russle Edsin


don't give their poetry away free, you have to pay cash buy their books,


but me,


me living month to month on Social Security checks,


I'm supposed to give mine away free?


///

Of course I HAVE to give mine away free, because nobody will buy the damn things.

licensed to kill

/
a footnote to my post from a couple weeks ago: http://knottprosepo.blogspot.com/2011/07/uh-this-first-poem.html


*
I imagine the hierarchs at Poetry Magazine were disappointed that their attempt to assassinate me in 1972 failed,

which is why thirtythree years later they hired the lit-rump Meghan O'Rourke to give it another try—

And this time they succeeded.

Their second murder plot did me in:

after this latter "review" appeared in 2005,

I had to retire from my teaching position,

I lost what little professional standing and esteem I had in the poetry world, all of its venues have blacklisted me,

and since then I have been forced to self-publish my books thanks to the poisoning of my reputation with everyone in the legitimate poetry-publishing field—

No doubt the despots at Poetry Magazine have rejoiced these past 6 years over my decline;

how they must relish my downfall and the final ruination of my career:

to know that their vendetta against me has triumphed in the end,

to know that their vicious attacks have finally finished me off.


*
And their hired assassin, Agent Double O'Rourke? Well, following this

termination-with-extreme-prejudice,

The Paris Review appointed her as an editor.

If anyone reading this is looking for a scheme to boost their career in PoBiz,

I recommend kicking my corpse around: look at what it did for her.


///