The Entertainment Industry Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

The only ones believing,
The entertainment industry is easy...
Are the ones being entertained,
At home watching TV, watching movies.
Or listening to music to either download,
To hear their favorite rap artist scat through...
Copied tracks on the radio.

People who have pursued their dreams,
To know what it means to go without eating...
Or getting sleep to walk the streets,
Looking at others through restaurant windows...
Imagining how it feels to eat,
After spending of hundreds of dollars...
Just to get head shots for a hope to meet,
A table of decision makers flipping quickly...
With little interest shown to make it known,
What it is they see is at best mediocrity.
And...
Who might to them say, 'WHY are you here?
And to waste our time? When you could easily find,
A desk job anywhere else where those folks don't mind...
Observing a wanna bee claim to have talent.'

It takes more than talent,
And a thick skin to put up with this...
Outward display of stripping away one's dignity.
For anyone to perceive,
A hopping on a plane or train with visions of stardom,
In Hollywood OR New York City with fame as an aim...
To think they will sit pretty on a stage under spotlight,
Believing this is going to be done...
Overnight without sacrificing to shed many years of tears,
With insults, embarrassments and more of that to come...
To endure the 'ease' of doing what one wishes to dream,
As something they will accomplish immediately.

Imitation Of Life had been a great movie.
And just an imitation of life was all that it was.

The entertainment industry is not for those,
Not prepared to carve their own way or be opposed.
Then dare to sell their gifts to be sold,
To those seeking to be convinced what is presented...
Comes from one's soul and not ego.
Ego has very few places to go in the 'industry'.
UNLESS, you are Kanye West who just happens to be,
Even 'more' than what he 'says' he is.

'Why did 'you' leave the entertainment industry?
Were you afraid of success?
Or did you accept for you that wasn't meant to be?
Either North, South, East or Mr. West on a quest.'

I didn't leave it.
I was told I could not create my own audience,
A few steps from where I lived as a kid.
And when I was told that,
I had to show them to prove...
If I wanted to I could move a few mountains.
Plus...
Who knew better what it was I was born to do,
To get done the way I knew I could.

'And...
Just what was THAT.'

Would it offend if I should ask,
~Are you illiterate?
Or are you one who perceives,
What you see and watch on TV and movies.
OR hear to download from the radio,
Is all there is to the entertainment industry? ~

'OH...
So which team do you play your sport?
Or had that been another delusion you aborted?
When remnants of 'your' ego had been squashed.'