Poem: Uneven Deal

The unfair economics of writing versus reading.

Uneven Deal It takes about a week for a lazy man to read a book, if he’s inattentive, easily laid back and watches a lot of television in between Perhaps takes in a movie on the off nights Properly attends to wife and kids Takes about eight months to write one, presupposing that the writer kicks out words like his pants are on fire, stays with it when he feels like climbing trees, or climbing the walls, and to hell with winter in Mexico Turns off the television, leaves his friends with three at bridge, growls at whoever’s on the phone Still it’s an uneven deal, the equal of thirty-five writers, striving to keep up with one insomniac If there’s an economic rule that applies, please clue me in

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection THE SMELL OF TWEED AND TOBACCO available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.