My Degree Poem by Eric Cockrell

someone asked me what my degree was in...
well, i've been a factory worker,
a mill worker, a carpenter, a trash collector...
milked cows and rode horses,
grown gardens and cut wood.
i've been a kick boxer, a fugitive,
a poet, and a mad lover.
a two bit picker, a prisoner,
an addict and a thief.
a street preacher, a hobo,
a father and a husband.
a monk and a heretic....
need i say more.
i've loaded trucks and worked sawmills,
been a salesman and a business manager.
i've climbed mountains and lived in caves,
bathed naked in waterfalls.
i've been a winner, and a loser,
i've been a friend to the end.
i've been a fighter and a believer,
a socialist, and a renegade.
i've read books and gave poetry readings,
sat up all night typing naked thoughts.
met Jesus in a drunk tank,
walked with Buddha through lifetimes.
been a human being, been an asshole,
and reaped my own mistakes.
have stopped in the rain to change tires,
and rescued turtles from the highway.
walked thirty miles to kiss a woman,
and jumped out several windows.
drove too fast, fought too hard,
have fallen from great heights...
other than that...
i guess you're out of luck!