Untitled Entitlements

Eleven years ago today
I posted to this blog
a post about a show
Beavis and Butthead

What a funny show
So ahead of its time
I still can’t believe
it’s off the air

Tonight I read a poem
at the Brooklyn Poets
open mic and I’m a
little nervous, and so

in rather poor exchange
for all that you have
to me given, I must offer
meager meditation:

The only problem with
entitlements is the word
It has different meanings
to different people

Are your arms entitled
to blood from your heart?
Are your lungs entitled
to breathe the air?

Are your eyes entitled
to light and shade?
Are your ears entitled
to music played?

Is your mind entitled
to feel abused?
Is your voice entitled
to rust unused?

What is the point
of discussing entitlement
when the body’s organs
are slowed from lack of blood?

Wish you not the organs breathe?
And if not, how will you
walk tall without legs
and reach far without arms?

Perhaps you intend
to build the arms and legs
out of wires and metal
and run them on electrons

If so, who is going to deliver
electrons to your doorstep
like milkmen once delivered milk?
Robots will, I suppose

And Johnny 5 shall sit at my desk
spin in my chair, eat my combos
drink my coffee, and pretend to work
while writing blogs on the internet

2 thoughts on “Untitled Entitlements

  1. I don’t know if you are authorized to exercise the privilege of reading a poem tonight. Or, whether you simply believe you have been granted the right, or warrant an exemption, to do so. If you, in fact, are immune from any claim of lack of consent, then I hope you punch the ticket. You are entitled!!

    1. Thanks so much for the good wishes. I did read the poem and it went well and I enjoyed listening to the other poets as well. Brooklyn Poets was the concern that let me read and I thank them heartily for the opportunity.

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