I Promise

Promises are a lot like
poems: same pleading,
same
suggesting,
maybe even the same wanting
of their audience
to get it over with, so that,
hopefully,
he or she won't have to deal with
another,
for at least a little while.

When I write a poem,
I try to imagine
you, the reader,
smiling,
pulling your eyes back to the top
of the page, and
re-reading it,
consequently
deriving satisfaction
for a few seconds each time through.

As a poet, I promise you,
such a moment
will make you forget
that I am indebted
to you
at least a "thank you,"
or a "you're the best."

May the good people,
who you
make your promises to,
arrive at a similar
recurring fullfillment;
unless, of course,
you still feel like I owe you
something
after this period.