How to answer "what do you do?"

What do you mean when you ask what do you do?

What part of my life is of interest to you?

Are you asking about the time between ten and two?

I know what I'm supposed to answer when given that cue.

I seem to be doing things all day and all night

Some things are just in my head with no movement to sight

Other times I'm moving with no apparent goal

Except doing that movement seems to be right for my soul

I want to define my DO in a different kind of way.

A way that doesn't consider currency as pay

I'm redefining the word DO as only a politician could

Depends on your definition of DO as I always suspected it should

I do those things that make me feel useful

Like giving  to others and trying to be helpful

Some of the things that I do are probably rather frightful

Like riding my motorcycle all day and then through the nightfall

A lot of what I do is chasing the pay

But I've learned that doing that ONLY is not the right way

Because ONLY becomes lonely when you've lost most of your hay

To some wall street meltdown that was always just a heartbeat away

Next time you ask me, “what do you do?”

I'll answer your query with my definition that's new

I'll pause for a thoughtful moment and offer in lieu

I'm a poet on life’s journey seeking answers like you.