Christopher Roe’s most recent poem to appear here was Picnic (October 2014).

Living the artist’s life
By Christopher Roe

The artist lives life with a kind of benign neglect
jabbing the spurs of the moment
into the flanks of recklessness
…………………………because
to live it properly might somehow
take away from its creative aspect
a story of contemplative balance and risk
…………………………where
sacrificing for one’s art is the stoic norm
like leather-hard clay awaiting the bisque
a not quite formed life hardening into its pose
an affectation of introspection and nothing more
…………………………because
that’s just the way an artist’s life goes
half done dreams litter the room collecting dust
as the artist schemes his way through life
…………………………precisely
because it is his choice, and because he must.