if i mention elvis
will you notice this more
if i mention 50 cent
will it matter more
if i mention anyone at all
who isn’t you or me
will it lend me certain gravity
if i point a finger at the mirror
and let you see it
am i missing the point or are you
if i turn off the radio
stop downloading
drop the tv from a bridge onto an suv
go to baghdad for eid
new orleans for mardi gras
and milan for the spring shows
will you care an ounce more about all this
if i put a beat behind it
score it record it bang it like a tin pan
will you think it any better
will you want to hear it again
if i bleed for you
will you agree to sop it up
if i cry for you
will you agree to laugh it up
if i come for you
will you let me come inside

because i swear to you
i’ve got a million in me
just like this one
that will never see a page or stage

because i’m better than that
or so they say

there are days when i wish
i was a kid again
back when i couldn’t tell the difference
between good and meaningful

maybe if you write enough poetry
you eventually reach the point
when you’ve written too much
to get that anymore