I Do It for the Poetry

Money, power, fame, glory

Keep it all, give me one good story

Cuz I do it for the poetry

Poets making money got the dollars when they do it

Andrew Jackson touches palm, touches wallet

Touches palm at retail store

Where money poets go for more

Until they're broke and pens go back to paper

To the paper, from the paper, by the paper, for the paper

Going home to paper houses

Paper children, paper spouses

Papered over your coffin as you incinerate

But if you know paper, you know the rain disinegrates

Money poets -- your fate

Money, power, fame, glory

Keep it all, give me just one good story

Cuz I do it for the poetry

Other poets start out shy and profound

Power poets just start out loud

Act like more than themselves.

Audience reaction touches nerve, touches pen

Touches fire-breathing, tongue-lashing words

That riccochet back to reaction, feeds both fires

Power poets smoke hoots, hollers, cheers and boos to take them higher

And blow out toxins

Spew the garbage about strangers to their faces

Putting women and haters in their places

Yelling, cursing, fighting words

Without solutions to wit

Cuz really, power poets can't say shit

Money, power, fame, glory

Keep it all, give me just one good story

Cause I do it for the poetry

Some poets come to the mic looking and sounding tight

But these fame and glory poets tonight

Have no back story, just noise

These poets just like hearing the sound of their voice

And seeing their name in lights

Lights touching skin, touching clothes glittering

Glaring off paper, sending fears skittering into darkness

Dark hearts share nothing of substance

Pens glance and scribble to the smiles of the powerful

Who pat their backs and shoulders

Eyes shooting daggers, fame and glory poets never see boulders coming

And they get crushed.

Money, power, fame, glory

Keep it all. Give me one substantive, intricate, beautiful story

Cuz some of us still do it for the poetry....