the advice book

for Christmas one year
your minister
brother, not the other two,
but the good one
who lives in the bible belt
with his doors unlocked,
sent you a book titled
don't waste your life.
a few years later
he sent the same book,
forgetting that he had sent
the first one.
it became clear what his impression
of you was.
you skimmed the fist book,
and got some nice
ideas about how not to waste
your life, none of which you
can remember right now
because you're too busy doing
all the things
he's not allowed to do.