I am a poet-janitor,
not the philosopher-king of old
but one who cleans up the mess,
figurative and literal.
Oh, I used to say “innkeeper”
as a mask of propriety
or even “consultant”
for other kinds of mopping up
but the ego loves these labels
and has trouble
with the wet rag
at the base of the toilet.
And I don’t believe in genuflecting
so deeply
that I have to put my nose in it,
since the ego also loves
to push these rigid forms
…instead I try to wipe
with an uncertain kindness,
notice patterns on the floor
before the broom.