I’m a street poet

my ego is overwrought

my doubt is devastating

I am not virtuous

though I often pretend to be

which is the difference between me

and an MFA  poet

a prize-money poet

and a scholarly poet--

pretension

 

I am all these things and worse

and be you

intimidated or enamored you may

call me any and every

one of these things

but

don’t you ever

call me

an intellectual poet.