Artists

Out there near the outskirts of life,
in the intervening spaces of society,
the places between the lines,
the ones which require imagination
and an urge to escape,
fit the artists.
At the crossroads of isolation and inertia,
the art for art’s sake crowd lingers.
No longer true bohemians,
they seek control more than abandonment.
Their art form calls, and they answer,
meeting at the nexus of talent and genius.
Persisting through failure on the path to success,
none of them really wish to starve.
Most want to find the yellow brick road,
preaching along the journey, defining taste,
making music to humanize the world.
They create so as not to stand still,
each work moving them forward
a millionth of an inch,
in one direction or another,
from the corner of meaningful and mundane.
Some will find their way home.
Most will trod the path unseen,
forever concealed from recognition.