After I finish writing this poem
the weight of living will seem lighter
and I’ll feel better for a while
I’ll read the words over and over
till the words seem strange and foreign
like some ancient sacred mantra
I’ll admire the way the words look
arranged on paper shaping the blank
space like artwork within its self
Then I’ll put the poem away and
sadly nothing will have changed I’ll
still be sitting in this factory
Poems are nothing but a quick fix
like sex or a shot of cheap whiskey
a bandage for the weary soul
But as for now I feel just fine
I just wrote a poem, and that’s close
enough to freedom for tonight
Wayne Mason - Lakeland, Fl