The Poetry Marathon

We often think about it.

The wind at your back, the world

at your heels & you can’t honestly look me in the eyes & tell me you’ve never wondered what a cloud feels like.

But at the end of the day,

returning to the ground,

you realize all you ever wanted

was right beside

you all

along.

Heavy is the head that gets berated from all sides.

It seems as if no matter what he does, there’s always

someone left unsatisfied. But it of no matter to him because

he never stops trying to do what’s right

regardless of the circumstances. You may not appreciate him

but someday when your kids are safer than they were yesterday

or when the criminal gets the punishment he deserves, you’ll realize

exactly what you had as gratitude manifests in full force.

You got passed over for a promotion;

your trip itinerary didn’t go as planned;

she wants to be with someone else;

they gave the role to someone far less qualified.

well, guess what?

too bad.

Life’s not fair

& the sooner you realize that,

the better off you’ll be.

I never stray too far from the straight & narrow;

it all seems so gray now anyway yet the obligation

still feels necessary.

Sometimes, even the saviors have no idea

what it truly means to walk through the gates

of salvation & embrace a better tomorrow.

But it doesn’t mean we don’t care;

we just know the fight has been rigged against us.

That’s the first step in the great war; find out how

to level the playing field & the rest all falls in to place like

a puzzle just waiting to be solved. Cross the finish line &

hope for the best; the rest is up to the universe itself.

We’ve gone around so many times now

& though we’ve gotten accustomed to it,

it’s hard not to think about what the fiery blaze

might portent for our future.

Would it bring about a shining tomorrow

filled with golden opportunities & endless pathways

to success? Or is it just another false prophecy designed

to provide us with an unreliable sense of security?

Looking through history, it didn’t work out well for those

who came before but they may have employed the wrong

strategies in their quest for the elusive tabula rasa.

In any case, there’s only one way to uncover the mystery behind

it all. So at some point, you either need to light up a match or accept

what existence has become and roll with the tide.

So many lanes to walk down, so

few steps left to take.

Far too many land mines down there so turn around

lest your frame should break.

On the left hand side, you have the old jungle gym

On the right, the dilapidated alma mater.

So many indelible memories run through the heart of this town

Like a river full of water .

From the carnival rides

to the runs through to the woods

from the epic water slides

to uncovering all the goods.

We never knew just how good we had it

until it all came crashing down.

But looking back on it all,

we owned that town.

What the future holds

is anyone’s guess

But we sure are looking forward to

that big beautiful mess.

Home away from home,

perhaps a tad cliche but nothing if not accurate.

With the most incredible architecture & an unmatched ambience,

it’s no mystery why it’s the best getaway imaginable.

The alcove comes complete with delectable cuisine,

personal pods for unique consumption as you see fit,

& connectivity that has to be experienced to be believed.

When everything goes wrong, it’s always here.

When the world seems to be falling to pieces, it’s a comforting refuge for the weary and the indigent.

A single point of consistency in a perpetually changing world

with cartesian coordinates of 0000.

Long after we’re gone, it will remain for future generations to appreciate

but our perpetual, undying love & gratitude will remain long after the end of time & the

collapse of civilization. Thanks for being a light in a world fueled by darkness.

The opportunity for the perfect duet is out there somewhere;

you just haven’t found it yet

or she’s just not ready to take to the stage alongside you

& belt out auld lang syne as if no one else were around.

But you know exactly the kind of song partner who will be sitting across from you on those stools no one should eve be subjected to.

She’ll be kind, thoughtful, funny, never hesitating to put anyone else before herself, up for anything, & someone who can match you wit for wit.

& you promise to keep the mic warm for her until such time as she’s ready to see just how far vibrato can get you in the real world.

We’d be far out of here

into a better life.

Just picture it.

A sturdy veranda perfect for late-night singalongs.

Waking up & smelling the roses through the pine-sol scented air.

A fenced-in backyard perfect for the tykes.

Between those tv dinners & some good solid sack time,

We’d gather around the tube watching the classics while

making new memories as indelible as those episodes. &

when all was said & done & the sun had tucked itself away

for the evening.

We’d settle into bed knowing we had the most sacrosanct existence in the world.

Somewhere that’s green.