Day 243 – You Do

You often say you don’t trust us, loudly
but oh, I think you do
or else… there must be some other reason
you leave your pride and joy with me.
I can’t think why, if I’m so lacking,
you’d be shoving them out the door
to spend a day in wanting hands,
to become grafted into the machine
if you had any other choice,
because you do.

Day 242 – Get

I wonder what you get
when you’re getting up
to get something for me
are you getting tired
am I getting old
are we getting it right
I just get suspicious
‘cuz when there’s something to get
you always get me.

Day 241 – The Professor

They called him The Professor
I don’t remember his real name
but it was enough that they always
threw us two together

He was a gentleman of poetry,
sent me quotes from C.S. Lewis
I tried hard to keep my spine straight
and use the proper words

They said that he adored me
but I could never tempt him
in my wildling days, I guess
he knew to give a decent space

And now I smile on those nights
my head resting on his shoulder
kinda wishing he would try it
always knowing that he wouldn’t

I never took it hard, I knew
his gentle spirit needed more
but it was enough that they always
threw us two together

Day 240 – Say

I’ve been thinking of something to say
and the right way to say it
but I think I talk too much already,
I think I opened the door too wide
so now we talk without ever talking
you know everything without ever asking
and I’ve lost track of the things I’ve said
that I never even said

Day 239 – Heading Up the Pier

When I started I was heading up the pier
with blinders on, I was always gonna
walk straight up to the edge and then
jump off, it was never in my plan to let
vacationers steer me off course.

But people-watching turned and now
they’re watching me, people who
do not know don’t want me to jump
while I dream of sinking below their eyes,
while my dreams are filled with their cries
of anxious warning and greedy rage
mixing in with the gulls.

Day 238 – It’s Not the Things

He says “Why are you napping?
It’s not Thursday…” comes in
with the donut he finally procured
and my favorite too, carries in a
large parcel of play-doh, no questions,
I ordered but it’s heavy stuff;
sneaks me into his meeting at work
to say hi to all of his coworkers’ wives
and the look in his eyes
when he talks about pumpkin spice,
I mean, it’s not the things, but it is.

Day 237 – Some Friends

Some friends
show you
what friends
can be
and
some friends are
cautionary tales.

Day 236 – Clearing Stages

I’m alive in 60-second intervals,
I’m passing through time in a series of
repeating blocks. I’m Tetris
though you think I’m all squared up
waiting for a long stick to come dropping in
to clear me out, I’m the Wall of China,
so OCD you know exactly what to expect
but you never do– I’m just clearing stages

Day 235 – Reality

When it boils down
we’re just living together-
me and a bunch of little kids–
and none of us ever wants
to get up so early in the morning.

Day 234 – Orange Rind

Watch me pretend I can’t hear you because
I don’t want to have this fight again
in reverse–
how can we be back here, but now I’m avoiding
while you’re the one bleeding in verse?
I’ve seen every side of this circle
we doggedly spin, but you stay so blind
so I la-la-la when you say it’s a road–
I know it’s just an orange rind.