Whirl-a-Gig

I am balancing myself…
And wanting to eat the entire bag of popcorn
That is sitting in my lap.
“Shhh…You are smacking too loudly!”
She says to me in the dark.
Here in Adventureland
I am NOT going to get in that whirling teacup–
No matter how much pressure I feel—
But, brother, the amount of
Vomit I’ve seen these last
20 years.

I want to paint on black paper:
Colors pop-pop-popping out like neon lights
On wet streets
Moon covered by clouds.
I want to howl
And laugh
And run…run FASTER THAN I EVER HAVE
The sound of squeaking sneakers
on slippery pavement.
I just want to
Get to wherever it is
I’m itchin’ to go.
I started running in Commerce, Texas
Under empty streetlights green
With envy:
From Church Street to
His house
And I sometimes miss that
coq au vin.

I’m not sure what the sign is, now,
I’m supposed to be looking for
But…until then…
I’ll search the premises
Near and far
And, occassionally, wish I
still had a hammock
To curl up in
On windy days.

You see,
I still have acne…
I still wear cut-offs
When I pull weeds.
I still want to win the
Big ass panda
And hoot and holler
Over summer vacation.
I still dream that my
Childhood
Family
Is driving across country
(And we are all in the same
Car
At the same time
While this is happening, of course)…
And, of course, we are all enjoying
One another’s company
But did that really happen so long
Ago?
Am I the only one who remembers those
days?

Trying to be the best parent I can
be…
Trying to recognize when to share
A story
When to keep my lips zipped
Wanting my daughter to know
She is beautiful
And hoping that she
Looks back and says, someday,
“Those were great travels
And I’m glad my family
Knew I mattered,
Then and now.”

4 Comments on “Whirl-a-Gig”

  • Reads like you really had the idea for this beautiful poem while watching a movie with your daughter; maybe drifting away with your thoughts, reflecting your life. // I’m riddling about the amount of Vomit -if it wasn’t from the excessive eating of popcorn! / Your description of painting a picture that gets into a “real” scenery: a wonderful overleading. / “FASTER THAN I EVER HAVE”: oops, you still seem to be ambitious… / “With envy: From Church Street to His House”: an uncomplied love? / Signs as premises –the architecture of life? / “Trying to recognize when to share A story When to keep my lips zipped”: as engaged and extroverted as you seem, it might be more difficult for you, NOT to tell your thoughts. But that’s far better than the opposite. // Hold on to keep your mind fresh getting wiser (and a bit sentimental)! The snoring t-EGG (P.S.: I still have acne too!)

  • Just beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

  • a-dog

    says:

    cool poem; me likey. Especially the part about wondering what stories to share and which to keep to yourself. That is often a very good question. When there is doubt, stuff it, and reflect for a while. What it was that created the doubt will surface and can be examined.
    So sayeth the a-dog.

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