Keep 'Em Guessing

Maddy, I'm getting ready to compile
your poems and send them off
to editors. Tell me your full name
so I can use it as a pen-name. I
doubt they'll be ready to handle
the truth. I can't wait to see
your name in print; I'm sure they'll
take your work. What a great idea!
they'll assure themselves, thinking
it to be pure fiction. I was talking to
my mother and she tells me there
was a guy who wrote a series about
a cockroach poet, but that had
to be fake. I'm sure Mr Marquis
didn't actually have a roach friend.
But who knows. I mean, I'm so
sure you're real, but maybe I'm
delusional, maybe you're a figment
of my imagination. I don't mean
to insult you; I just mean
to point out that for all anyone
knows, your poems are the
ravings of a lunatic. Well, your stuff is
too intelligent for that, but you know
what I mean. Once word spreads
about the cockroach poet queen,
maybe you can write the editors
a letter taking credit for the whole
thing. I'll mail it for you. That will
really add to the mystique of
your poetry. Is it real? Could
a roach really do this? You and I
know the truth but let's
keep 'em guessing.

(2007)