Bubble-gum ice cream

Was my favorite

For a day

Even though

The cold makes the gum rock hard

Sheer novelty

That is what it was

And I thought

What a great adventure

I woke up today

To something new

And I tried it

I got curious

About it

And tried it

And now I can say

I tried it

And I bet

I’m probably the first

Of my friends

And my family

Who was brave

Enough to try

Bubble-gum ice cream

And this, of course

Became a great evil

That led me to try

Many many things

That friends and family

Have likely never tried

And so it went

For quite some time

 

 

I don’t know

Slow slow crawl

Then freeze

Every one

May be your last

And just like that

The wind stops

And I wonder

Does it necessarily mean

Help is coming

Everyone who

Has ever truly needed help

Hopes

That help is coming

I looked and looked

For this old painting

A masterpiece

That I saw once

An old seaman

Facing away to the sea

With waves crashing on the rocks

And a part of me knew it

Cause the feet on the stage

From the dream

Have been pushed forward

All of my life

And people don’t seem to understand

That feet on a stage stand alone

So I felt the piece instinctively

I live it every single day

But I’ve got to say

Much to your credit

That you’re not leaving me alone these days

And especially tonight in the car

You sat down beside me

And you’re doing it more and more

And isn’t it silly

That I worry it will only ever be

You and me

But I know there are 10,000 others

Yet it would be ok

If it were only you

I’m not alone

You know I’m not alone

 

I might have hopes and dreams to talk about

There might be good news

There’s a chance that just being

Would melt away something

That needed to be melted away

You can’t yell to the other side

Of the highway

It’s just not wise

You can’t wave

You can’t turn around

It’s dangerous

And what’s more

You shouldn’t have to

I shouldn’t have to

Cause we all need water

Like we all need to matter

And even if

Even if I forfeited that

Long ago

In the dark of the way back

Something has to be ignored

Intentionally or unintentionally

How should I know which

And for me

Being ignored

Is the most violent sneeze

It confirms

My own utility

Void of any essence

I had a dream

That I was hiding

Under a glass table

Because two burglars

Were breaking into my house

A big bag of money

Was dumped onto the table

And I thought

In the dream

Oh, good, they can’t see me

Stupid, I know

But it’s a kid’s dream

They counted their money

Put it in stacks

Talked a bit

Placed it back in the bag

And left the house

That’s all I remember

Except that

When I woke up

I was disappointed

I wanted to be seen

Stupid, I know

But it’s a kid’s dream

Classy bully

Not like the one

on the Little Rascals

Butch, I think

Not like most bullies

Who look like bullies

Like charging bulls

Red-faced, snot-flying

No, not mine

Mine is classy

Well, classy-ish

Bullying aside, of course

Cleans up nice

King pompous

King arrogant

King of self-promotion

My bully boasts big

And is really really bad

At sounding sincere

Couldn’t pick authentic

Out of a line-up

He paints with plastic

And one night

It got to me

Really got to me

What a shame

Stealing a child’s sleep

But I happened upon a story

An enemy on a mountain

Defeated, they thought

Because they were on a mountain

So, they thought

They’d attack from the plain.

But what they found

Was sugar on the top

And sugar on the bottom

Sugar through and through

And in that moment I knew

I got Sugar o’ plenty.

And that bully

Just got bark

A bully’s bitter bark

I’ll never know

Why He chose

Not to be brave

No map

No “you are here” sign

No landmarks

No familiar face at all

But

Large hopefulness

It’s my fault.  Yes.

But let me confess something

I didn’t know

I didn’t know that I was laying bricks

And building a damn

That was holding back

So

Much

Exuberance

I didn’t know

Such power

Such peace

Such promise

Was sitting

Immediately on

The other side of

Ho-hum

You gathered sage

And spilled it

Down the chute

That dusting

Gave me tunnels

New and inviting

And a crispy thin

Layer of something useful

For me and men

Your daddy do

A healthy bit

The cutest repeating thing

A bloom so small

And familiar dust

And attention I love

For quite in the mouth

That yields no kiss

But once twice

Was just there

And I’m sad

It’s gone

Only slightly

I want to grow up

You rang that neck

Now there’s no turning back

Cause all the things

Stuffed into a sack of exaggeration

Can’t be argued

By design

Through the tide of lies

There is no argument

Cause you are perfectly convinced

That a single and gem

Make a fortress and a garrison

And no amount of militia men

Can put humpty dumpty

Back together again

And pity pity pity

Cause you don’t know how to be

Without the daily threat of a great fall

So finally