From the collection published in 2021, And Don’t Come Back.

Willing to Work at It

Sycophant.
The flattery industry pays abysmal wages
but plenty of people apply for the job
willing to be paid in checks drawn on
humiliation
sneers behind your back
Toady on your resume
nobody likes a yes-man
nobody likes you

but in exchange for a ride
on stretchy coattails
exhilarating
even if the ground is coming up
faster than you think?
You measure how hard of a bounce
you can take when you ask yourself
what kind of person have I become?

The answer is not always what you think.

3/12/20