Anthem for why you write poetry.

You do it for indie bands and pop-up

brunches. You do it for every person

who filled in that Ten Books meme on Facebook,

careful to include books they sort of read.

You do it for the graduates who moved

to Vancouver and then rarely, if ever,

fail to use the word ‘gentrification.’

You do it for Occupy Oakville.

You do it for the teacher who said, once,

he had drinks with Elizabeth Wurtzel.

You do it for microcrafted microbrew,

for speeches about ‘the community.’

You do it in the hope that one fine day

they will stop calling you fat and stupid

because, really, take a look at yourself.

You do it for every cat named Salinger.