Poems, like beer
should make things better.

(easier?
freer?
happier?)

but poems, like beer

don't.

the complication of

(words
phrases
emotions)

should sort things out.
a poem ought to help me understand
ought to make me
better.
but they
don't.
if anything
i think they mess me up more
i'll discover things i didn't even know were there
in the sultry lines of a poem
i can't define...

if poems, like beer
don't make me better
i guess i don't really know
what would...

yes,

(bartender
poet
friend)

i'll take

another.