Write what you know by Alex Stolis

Write what you know

I read a great poem, then
never want to write again.
I’ll never kiss a blind girl
in a Paris museum.
The only mysterious
noir women I’ll meet
are in Hopper paintings
or Wilder movies.
Write what you know?
I’m not sure what I know.
Sure, I’ve lost jobs,
friends, had my name
inked on police blotters.
Tossed some guy through
a plate-glass window.
Drove my car through
the neighbor’s house.
Had parents with bluest
collars—raised us
on Adam West Batman,
Froot Loops, Blackjack,
and Hamburger Helper.
Now, I have a real job,
wife who’s heard all
my stories, an old dog
that follows me around.
Write what you know.

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Alex Stolis has had poems published in numerous journals. His chapbook, Postcards from the Knife-Thrower’s Wife, was released by Louisiana Literature Press in 2024, RIP Winston Smith from Alien Buddha Press 2024, and The Hum of Geometry; The Music of Spheres, 2024 by Bottlecap Press. He lives in Hudson Valley of New York with his partner, poet Catherine Arra.