Steal This Poem by James Cox

In the daring drunken days of youth
I stole a woman’s virtue and lost mine
I stole time from the interested and made a salary of scorn
I stole sympathy from the concerned and remained broken
I stole the magic wordings of the gods and lost sanity
I stole from the poor and ate a dry crust of cynicism
I stole innocence from children by giving them the world –
The wild panorama of fanatics, destroyers, and lying thieves,
The ubiquitous greed
I lost self-respect
I stole pleasures and borrowed fitful shame and sleeplessness
But when I stole into the labyrinth and found the whirling core
I turned against the world
With a reversing wind
I stole my soul back and became real again

Now, in these older days of slippery stone,
Descending slopes watery with sunlight
I steal wisdom from wise men and become bearded
I steal love from those who still love and still love
I steal the hatred of the worldly and become holy
I steal the heart of my experience to feed poems,
To steal beauty is no crime
I steal loneliness from those hidden away
I steal happiness from the rain of losses
I steal freedom and leave those who would chain to rage
I steal visions from the atmosphere

So, steal this poem, if you please
Put it where you will:
In your heart
In a friendly place
On a printed page
On a wall
In the soul of the world
I dream your satisfaction

But remember, make sure of your direction:
When you steal, think what thieving means;
When you steal from another’s soul you lose
Safety and good luck, self-confidence,
The ease of the spirit in the world.