A Poet's Dilemma

I understand wanting to be published.
It is an objective validation
That one hasn't wasted time on rubbish,
That others value one's contemplations.

But publishing today comes at a high cost;
They don't pay, not even a free copy
To show others that your poem is not lost,
It's right there, though the printing is sloppy.

Meanwhile the bills are in and they are due,
And then there's health care costs which have increased,
So publishing will have to wait a few
More months until indebtedness has ceased.

It's enough to share poetry with friends,
Friends are more important than publishing in the end.