once I took a poetry class

[betteroffbad]

we had to write a poem about something we hated
it was one of those exercises in empathy
I wrote a poem about one thousand cockroaches
talk to a poet before you turn it in
my friend said -- don't make the same mistake I did
I talked to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
who told me I was a sweetheart and that's better than being pretty

when everyone had read my poem about cockroaches
there was a kind of an ominous silence
no one wanted to be the one to tell me
as a special surprise from the muses one day only
whatever we wrote would be granted the breath of life
my poem entitled “one thousand cockroaches”
was now one thousand literal cockroaches

where are they
I asked
at first
no one knew and then



we knew



everything that surrounds us becomes a part of us
and that is poetry said the poets
as the roachleg clatter grew in volume and nearness
this is a great example of lifes mystery said the poets
that is the difference between me and poets