His poems, should he ever produce any more,
ought to be eaten by mice.
Raymond Carver
Your hair will look better
if you work on that poem
You won’t overeat
if you work on that poem
Your Excema will subside
if you work on that poem
World politics will be less frightening
if you work on that poem
All will be well
Well, better
if you work on that poem
But the faucet needs fixing
the sweater needs mending
the taxes, the compost, replacing the shoestring
Raymond Carver’s mice are calling.