From the “I Wish I’d Written That” department, I thought this was funny.
From the Poetry Foundation: “William J. Harris is an emeritus professor of American literature, African American literature, creative writing, and jazz studies. He taught at the University of Kansas, Pennsylvania State University, and Cornell University, among other universities. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.”
The poem was originally published in In My Own Dark Way (Ithaca House, 1977) and is part of the portfolio “I Hope You Like Being Here with Me: The Work of William J. Harris,” curated by Howard Rambsy II.
You can read the original at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/159452/why-did-it