Put on the scarlet coat,
Your soft luxurious shield of armor,
It is time to read your reviews
And criticize your critics
As the nitpicking begin
Take out the cigars
Then break out the cognac
And pour it into a tumbler,
Smother a chair with cushions
And bring the cat hither
Brace for the onslaught,
For the renaissance
Of misunderstanding
And shortsighted complaints,
No one great gets off easy.
Look at the websites,
Bring up the back pages,
Flip through the newspapers
And scour the magazines,
Look for the thumbs and stars
Then look for the letters,
Not the grades, but your name,
Or a title you wrote,
Then realize they passed you over,
The worst critics can ever do.
