Advice has never worked in a poem
unless the advice is profound; they
also serve who only stand and wait;
Milton, and other great poets, advise
profitably in their poetry, but me?
Angry in politics. My muse advises:
Tom, keep your angry mouth shut.
Tom, do you really think if everyone
believed what you believe, society
would run smoothly and things
would never break or die?
Tom, Tom, Tom, don’t witness horror
or you’ll be the horror yourself. Fix
things when they break. Don’t let the sad
push you towards despair.
Think of the woman who was kind to you.
Her red, flowing hair.