A Drink With John Berryman

How many poets,
by alcohol and despair,
choose to depart
this living air?

The muse can be
an evil bitch:
she'll suck your brain,
she'll make you twitch.

With her it's not
a casual roll,
she wants your balls,
she'll eat you whole.

You strive to strike
the head of the nail;
one blow comes home,
but dozens fail.

Soon you despair
to ever succeed:
you open your veins,
commence to bleed.

You give to her,
and give and give,
until it's just
too hard to live.

Then in the bottle
you sadly seek
another day,
another week.

It isn't pretty,
it isn't fair,
and so you depart
this living air.
  - mce