NaPoWriMo Poem #9

To The Would-Be Plagiarist
by Edward S. Gault

Sir, if I could speak to you
About that paper you found.
On it, you may have noticed a poem-
With no by-line.
That was because it was a work copy-
I didn't mean for it
To get published like that-
I wanted to revise it before I sent it out.
Instead, I lost it,
-at least that copy.
So read it.
Snicker.
Then tear it up and throw it away!
That way, we both win.
Now, yes-I did say it was only a copy.
Since there is no name on it, you don't know who I am.
For all you know I could be famous,
Or the poem could be famous,
And have been taught in the schools for years-
For all you know.
And you really don't know, now do you?
So think about that before you send it or e-mail it someplace-
With your name on it!
There is a very good chance that you will be caught.
No one is immune.
Some very big names have been caught.
There are people out there
Looking out for this all the time.
It's what they do, and there good at it.
If your going to do something with it,
Make damn well certain that it looks a lot different
Than what you have, because that's crap!
And I really don't think you want to
Take the credit for that anyway, now do you?
(and by the way, wouldn't it be a lot easier
to just write your own damn poem,
than to put a lot of effort into camouflaging
the fact you stole mine?)
So, just tear it up.
Good.
Throw the pieces in that barrel over there.
Excellent!
Now, we both win.

Copyright 2008