this is one of my favorite stories ...
about 28 years ago ... up in pittsburgh
i was sitting in the unemployment office talking to the woman
who sends you out to look for 3 jobs a week ...
i was getting an unemployment check, about 260 a week ...
i had just got out of the army (vietnam) and was playing in a rock band
at night ... i had this free money coming so all i had to do was go down
every week and pick it up ... i was rich ... getting paid under the table
at clubs ... and getting my check from the unemployment office ... the last
thing i wanted was a job ...
this was my first interview with the lady trying to find me work ...
her office was a little cubicle ... within earshot and view of the
lines of out of work steel workers and construction guys and other
vets ...
i was young and felt like the cameras were rolling at all times
following me around ... mark marchetti starring in his life ..
so when the lady asked what i could do and what kind of work i was interested in ...
is said ... i'm a poet, i said it loud and proud ... got some good looks
from the steel workers and a few smiles from the other office workers
and i could almost hear the background music playing ... like a
rolling stone ...
she said, well i don't think we have any jobs for poets ... i said okay ...
got my check and split ...
well, after all these years i guess my soul knew something that i didn't ...
there are still no jobs for poets ... except this one ... and i'm still
rich and getting paid under the table ...
and the background music is still playing.