It’s problematic to produce a poem
As a carpenter a cart,
Either spurred by empty purses
Or the poet’s own hard heart,
As a poem for provision
Is a losing from the start,
As its fetching of a penny
Half a penny does impart.
The worst of poems are as this:
All container and no substance,
As a languid lover’s kiss,
Or the coinage of coy merchants
Not outweighing the purchase.
Besides, a poet playing cartwright
Ne’er can in step extol,
For his wordy, whimsy insight
Rarely ever is useful;
Therefore, poet, starve,
Hunger, and thirst,
For an empty wallet
Might be bad,
But an empty poem is the worst.

-Poyetikos