I stole a woman’s poetry
and ran through the streets
proclaiming:
“It’s mine! it’s mine!
I can write from the female perspective!”
The world cheered
and threw money
in my direction.
I basked in the glow
of effervescent adoration.
“Writing from two perspectives
can double my output,”
I told panting male interviewers
as they hung on every word.
We can hardly wait,
we can hardly wait!
How does he do it?
people pondered.
I refuse to tell them
about my secret poetess
pounding out poetry
I steal when she
looks the
other way.
1986