You shuffle past this way now and again

You’re a very pale shade of flesh

I don’t know you well enough to be worried

You’re gumming more than chewing

You’re slobbering more than biting

And that’s a nice change

You’ve got me shaky in all sorts of ways

You’re like a weak dulcimer

You’re like the memory of a long lost neighbor

There’s a type of hope there

A type of peace

Even if only preventative

But, of course – we over-promise

Like we do – as we do

So we don’t sleep at all

But it’s there in the glimmer

Just ahead

What a fun day

When it gets here

So many people

Expecting the suck

That joy seems to be

The least likely option

The train keeps coming

They keep receiving

They seem to be inspired

But allergic to glee

Which is a refusal

On one hand

But perhaps an oversight

On the other

I wish they knew

Just how desperately

Others are to experience

Any expression of our joy

In a short time

This will be a long time ago

And everything won’t make us so sad

Make us so green

Make us so black

In a short time

This will be a long time ago

And we’ll look back

And romanticize the natives

Who we once called savages

And we’ll forget

That they were slaughtered

That we slaughtered them

In a short time

This will be a long time ago

And we’ll say with dumb certainty

That these ways were always the ways

And just before we die

All the incoming grown-ups will roll their eyes

But will have no more wisdom

Than any other angry orphan

In a short time

This will be a long time ago

When you’re alone

Smack. Smack your gum

Loud. Loud as you need

But not until

When you’re untied

Forget. Forget what’s happening

Often. As often as you want

But not until

When you’re fired

Mouse. Mouse and disappear

Every time. Every time, as you’d like

But not until

When you’re reassigned

Dismiss. Dismiss the less

Naturally. Naturally as you do

But not until

When you’re last

Belittle. Belittle and lord over

Consequentially. Consequentially as you lack

But not until

When you’re dead

Shrink. Shrink and digress

Coward. Coward as your last resort

But not until

Don’t you have some windows

To go peek in, little red boy

Some conversations to ease-drop

Don’t you have some chaos to grind

Some innocence to squander

Some calm to shoot square in the guy

Don’t you now play fetch with lies

Don’t you now dance ’round a hanging tree

And won’t you…I said won’t you…

Stop at nothing

To see me swing

I know an enemy when I see one

Clandestine children

Yammer yammer spit

Can’t hear ya

When you cover your mouth

So sunny up

And bite the wind

Boat’s pullin’ out

At 6 and 10

Shuffle, Yodelers

One step, two step, three

Can’t hear ya

You don’t want to be heard

So sunny up

And bite the wind

Boat’s pullin’ out

At 6 and 10

Giggle gals and blokes

Real in packs

But can’t hear ya

When you bow to your fear

So sunny up

And bite the wind

Boat’s pullin’ out

At 6 and 10

Wind up the top

Set it down

And watch

Drip through the streets

Of Hollywood

Four men up to no good

Climbers – every last one

Bullets and brandy

Silversmiths and wordsmiths

Henchmen and werewolves

Thieves and kites

All married in a thunderstorm

And pregnant with glee

The fountain pen’s waste

Won’t write a song today

You carry on

Like a fool at church

With a box

Of your front door wine

Arm out – hand up

Twirlin’ in your princess dress

Warning the crowds

To keep away from you

Cause you laid with the devil

And had a back row gawk

Yellin’ and demandin’

“Put me on display”

“Display me”

And “Put more polish on my crown”

But better bite the barrel

If you’re expected to pony up

In any way

Cause you’ll be feeling faint again

And again and again and again

And it’s everyone’s fault

But yours

You leaving me

Was me shedding you

And it hurt me not at all

Like the sticky skin

Of tomatillos

Your effect on me

Just washed away

And now my satellites

Don’t circle round

Don’t care no more

And now the moon above

Doesn’t illuminate

Any part of what once was

Your simple tragedy

That I don’t think about at all