The Poem You’ve Been Waiting For

The Poem You’ve Been Waiting For

by Jay Délise

I regret to inform you that 

The poem you were expecting 

Is no longer on its way 

It will not arrive 

And it is not available for comment 

Unfortunately, now more than ever. 

In these unprecedented times 

As our world is growing and changing, and 

The political climate 

Of the state of the world has 

Been baked at 420 degrees 

I must raise my voice to inform you 

That this poem, 

The poem you are waiting for… 

Is not coming 

Due to the fact that I cannot write. 

I, reader, have spent all day in my underwear 

In bed 

Crying about the fact 

That rent is due 

And all I have done for work this month 

Is eat my weight 

In dairy-free ice cream so violently 

That I did not have time 

To allow myself to place my frozen fingers 

Onto a keyboard 

To write a poem 

More specifically, 

The poem you’ve been waiting for 

Public, 

I simply cannot provide you with a better explanation than this:

As I logged on to my computer 

To open the webpage 

That housed the folder 

That held the document

From whence this poem 

(the poem you are waiting for) 

Would and should have come… 

My finger slipped on the trackpad and, 

I regret to inform you, 

Opened Netflix 

And began playing the tv show 

That I am now 4 seasons into 

And I just can't bare to leave the protagonist 

At such a fragile time in their life as this. 

My loyal fans (family), 

As I approached the keys of my computer, with my hands

(Which, as I previously mentioned, were frozen) 

I began to take stock of the clothes on the floor 

And the dishes unwashed 

And papers un-filed 

And the bathroom un-tiled 

I realized that one of my nails had been chipped 

From when I was thrashing about my home 

Screaming 

And I forgot that I had planned to paint them, so now Because I am here with wet nails 

The poem 

(that you have been waiting for) 

Simply cannot arrive. 

I appreciate your patience at this time.