The Gutter Poem by Margaret Alice

Headed for the gutter
headed for disgrace
doomed to be a failure
lost the dragon race
fighting with the dragon
fighting with a pen

tried to calm the
whirling thoughts
carousing in my
head, tried to force
my eyes to see
some reason
in the text

Failed again
so dismally
- you will end up
a bum - everyone
will chorus loud;
- can’t they see
I’m already one?

The gutter just as
interesting and
meaning more
than office space
insanity - and
open plan
compare
with any
squatter
camp…