cage-free poets

the art
one consumes
says much
about them.

	the only ethical way
	to read poetry is from
	cage-free poets,
	but its so hard to know
	if their publishers
	even label them properly.

		i know
		what you mean—
		it’s so hard to find a good
		true crime alternative.
		they can get close, but
		you can always tell it’s a little off.

			yeah, i could never
			date someone who
			listened to an singer
			without knowing
			and agreeing with
			their every belief.

	i even leave
	the grocery store
	if they start playing a song
	by some inorganic piece of shit.
	ditch the cart in the middle
	of the aisle and run.

			that’s why
			i only listen to
			carbon-neutral singers.
			they’re more open about their process
			and it’s more natural—
			healthier, even.

		for real.
		the only novelists
		i read are ones with
		a certifiable history of acceptable thoughts.
		even their villains
		have good intentions.

i go out of my way to find

fair-trade artists
who use unionized paint
in their creations.