Notes from a Symposium

poets pay no attention to politics
poets have nothing to say on the subject
poets are obsessed with politics

poets rarely stray from the subject
poets often repeat themselves
poets know when to change the subject

poets never repeat themselves
poets ask uncomfortable questions
poets write only about themselves

poets ask unanswerable questions
poets don't believe what they write about
poets don't take kindly to questions

poets believe what they write about
poets practically explode with ideas
poets have nothing to write about

poets don't have any ideas
poets write dull dense unrealized lyrics
poets are made of flesh not ideas

poets write vain mean unpublishable lyrics
poets keep no working hours
poets write huge monstrous unreadable epics

poets stay awake at all hours
poets subvert the dominant paradigm
poets steal minutes away from hours

poets uphold the dominant paradigm
poets want to change your life
are poets the dominant paradigm?

poets will not change your life
poets steal other poets' words
poets are addicted to technology

epistemology and four-letter words
poets make you dizzy itching all over
poets make you allergic to words

don't let your children play with them