Friend of an Under-Valued Poet

I.
My compliments to the editor,
Or the editors,
As the case may be:

You who sit at a computer,
Tireless, I imagine;
Sometimes drone-like;
Zombie-stare at a glowing screen.

I imagine you
Far-reaching as the world’s largest spider
With access to the world’s largest web,
Sifting through virtual piles of weightless paper,
Like slithering mountains of winking coal

II.
Every once in a while,
A ray of piercing light gleams
From your pile of variably graded coal,
A ray of light that sears the eyes and penetrates the heart,
Bringing feeling to a numb mind,
Melting the ice of hum-drummery.

To this ray of light you assign a minuscule,
Red,
Check mark,
But in reality
-At least, I think:
It represents heart.

III.
My compliments to the editor,
My thanks to you,
For the care you take,
For the work you do.
My compliments to the editor,
Friend of many an undervalued poet.
My compliments to the editor,
Before, you’d never have known it.