performed live at Integer’s “Creative Circus,” Aug. 26, 1999
Creative License
The word “creative” is sick
not sick like wicked cool sick
sick like the flu
sick like cancer
Perhaps poetry can heal the word?
It’ll take poetry
or something nearly as potent
to combat everyday phrasing like:
“Don’t go gettin’ creative now, you hear.”
or:
“Sorry sir, but we may need to look at creative financing.”
So a poem is in order–some good medicine
Today
I use poetry and poetry uses me
to slip under the veil
and take back the language
for in my voice lives the pain of poverty
as well, velvet romance
Yet I wonder if tightly packed words
can ever compete with a remote world…
Maybe we need to start writing prescriptions
for a Creative License?
Yes, we have
the gun license
the driver’s license
the broker’s license
and the always handy, license to kill
A Creative License would put much needed fiber into the system
Standards could then be upheld
Tickets issued
for failure to yield
to oncoming irony
©1999 David Burn