Nice Walkies

Less of a poem and more of a story.
I hope you like it all the same.
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It Had To Be Grand

And I sat with my blocks under the shadow,
and the cylinder rolled away, as they often do.
I went to get it (knowing the cubes would be fine on their own)
but the cylinder had rolled out past the edge of this shadow.

And I was scared.
So I left the cylinder,
But my block-castle was incomplete,
having only three towers on the four corners.
And I sat and I thought of ways the castle could be different.
To leave a corner un-towered was out of the question.
A triangle castle, maybe? But then there'd be blocks left over.
And a two tower castle is no more than a wall.

And I was discontent.
But I was still scared.
So I sat & I sat pondering my wooden castle.
Could I make just a house, with a neat wooden roof?
Would simply a tower make due?
No, it would not and I always knew that.
That's why I started a castle, it had to be grand.
"It had to be grand.", I thought again.
"It had to be grand." and I stood up once more just as I had before I'd sat.

And I was scared
And I was discontent
But my block-castle was incomplete.
I walked over to the edge of this shadow
and put out one finger, then two, then five.
Warm felt my hand, and what more I was alive.
It was bright and I held those five fingers above my eyes
And before me, well, well I was quite surprised.

A mountain of blocks, not just cylinders or cubes
but rectangle, pyramids, triangles: acute & obtuse.

This is better I thought, than under that shade.
"With these", I exclaimed "Oh the things that can be made!"
"I'll have a four tower castle, but not simply that.
I'll have dozens of castles three no, twelve times higher than that!"

And I walked out from under the shade, as they often do.
I went off to be grand, (knowing that, I too, would be fine on my own).

Soda Soda Simple Simple

All

One day they called and said
“You’re the last man alive.

You’ve got much to do and not so much time.

Please water all the gardens and

feed all the dogs. They’ve gotten quite hungry

since their masters have been gone.

Find all of the bobby pins, put them in a jar

and wind all the clocks, they’re off by an hour.

The stores are all closed, please open them all

and replace all the paper in the bathroom stalls.

The cola’s all flat, please fill it with bubbles.

Next to mow the lawns and when that’s done

wash all the cars and

take all the nickels out of the fountains just for fun.

Visit all the cities, on all the skyscrapers all the windows need washed.
And when you get back collect all the black cats

so there’s no bad luck for anyone.

Pave over the cracks, and push all mirrors into the sea.

While your down there find those sunglasses I lost on a cruise

and
all the oysters have pearls,

string them up on laces

you’ve pulled out of shoes from the Lost & Found

in tourist-y places.
Next we’ll need you to check all the libraries

for a copy of “Lord Of The Flies”, I have a report due on Monday.
Next week’s my birthday, so I need you to learn cursive

and write all my invitations and then on Tuesday-“

“Just a minute” I said.
“Who is this?”

And I heard a click. 

How Good Arch Support Can Make For A Bad Evening.

Rubber Necking OR
How Good Arch Support Can Make For A Bad Evening.

So long and say farewell
What were all the people for
whom I've met and forgot?
All the mis-communication for
over which we bickered and fought?
Why longingly stare if it's not to be requited?
Why even bother at all to only be denied it?
Question mark, question mark

Walk along the dinner table
stepping in each meal
Question mark, question mark
How does everyone feel?
My loafers in their mashed potaters
the heel is in the quiche
I threw my Seiko wristwatch on top of the cobbler, peach.
There's gravy on my dress shirt
as tightrope the hors d'oeuvres

Stale cut grass floats from my elbows down to their red wine.
And I hear applause, palm against palm they praise my callousness.
I bow for my audience, slipping on the embroidered table cloth.
I crack my head off the silver candle sticks
and the red wine stains that embroidered table cloth.

Mingus carries me out of the room, into the parlor.
Tweed & elbow pads pour bitters into crystals and talks.
"Quite the performance young man."

So long and say farewell