The Lawyer-to-Be (A Poem)

by Emma Miller

Teachers make no money,
And for “causes” I lack passion.
I simply am too risk-averse
For media or fashion.
I thought I’d be a doctor,
But I failed organic chem.
When my friends went off to law school,
I thought, “Why don’t I join them?
Here is a profession
Where you go to school and then
You have employment guaranteed
Once at the other end.”
And so I’ve spent three lengthy years
With Latin words and torts,
Amassing debt and studying
To one day work in courts.
But now — thank you, economy —
I’m temping and in debt.
There’s lots of us and too few jobs,
And I’m left with regret.

Emma D. Miller vandalized lockers with rhyming poems in high school. Now she works at a film festival in Durham, NC. She tweets mostly about documentaries.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.