No Expectation Of Reward Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

No Expectation Of Reward

Rating: 4.0


Being the union guy at Spinoza HS
created a morsel of interest to the day
like when Darwin Dix showed up
his hair a bunch of purple spikes
a good ten inches off his skull
held upright by some fancy gel
from Italy I never heard of.
Chairperson Linda wrote him up
declaring his appearance demented
thus hindering the children’s education.
“A poet don’t play by your rules, ”
I informed her, knowing the union had
gone to court on this one:
No dress codes for teachers.
Darwin wrote a poem in my honor:
The Real Big Boss of the Universe
sent it off,
and was immediately accepted by two magazines
The Infinite Green Frog and Punctured Flesh
thus granting me fame, albeit minuscule
as both only had a combined circulation
somewhere near 48 souls
the exact number not definitively known
but the smile on Darwin’s face
as he handed me a copy of each
spoke volumes about
the true nature of happiness.
Of course I immediately asked
for his autograph on the cover
which he did saying,
“After all these years of despair
finally getting known.”
Then added, his voice soft and tender
and filled with gratitude,
the tone like a moment from a Bach Pastorale,
“All this, thanks to you.”
Well, what could I do
tell him this minor success at 46,
really not much
but then again perhaps Darwin Dix
now a published poet
knew more than I did
that I was indeed
The Real Big Boss of the Universe
and if not
at least a good union guy.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Cj Heck 04 January 2006

Excellent, Charles - you DO know how to tell a story and I enjoy each and every one. Warmest regards, CJ

4 0 Reply
Joseph Daly 04 January 2006

This is great charles, continuing your excellent theme of introducing charaters that speak for us all. You illustrate well that feeling of the first published work; the limited fame and the lack of fiscal reward, overshadoiwed by the actuality of the work in print. These people, with all their weakness speak volumes to us: almost suggesting that there is a uniformity to human behaviot. I like the way that this is couche in the dialect of the characters. In line 3 you start it with the word 'like' when it would have been proper to have used 'as'. proper, that is, according to the laws of the English language, which sometime enters into revolt, from the mouths of those using it. Also, and this is such a petty detail, you put the readership of the magazines at 48, then later you describe speech as being like a Bach Pastoral. Was this deliberate, I wonder?

4 0 Reply
Jasbir Chatterjee 28 August 2015

Great poem, conveys beautifully the joys and tribulations of writers and poets who keep writing for the sake of it, without expectation of any reward...

4 0 Reply
Paul Reed 28 August 2015

An important moment well captured in these lines

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Hugh Cobb 04 January 2006

Charles, Inside us all dwells a need to have validation from the universe. Here, so well-expressed and with such compassion for our humanity, you should be proud. All the best, Hugh

3 0 Reply
Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon 26 September 2022

Loved this excellent story poem. The Big Boss of The Universe and the Poet, Darwin Dix….And the poem…..

0 0 Reply
Douglas Scotney 28 August 2015

so good I read it twice.

2 0 Reply
* Sunprincess * 28 August 2015

........great write...and congratulations on member poem! ★

2 0 Reply
Susan Williams 28 August 2015

Oh, goody! There are more poems to read by this delightful easy-writer! ! ! I am off to indulge myself in this man's wit and charm!

34 0 Reply
Kim Barney 28 August 2015

Very entertaining and imaginative! A good choice for poem of the day!

6 0 Reply
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