Cruise Control Blues

(While driving to town, gloved against the cold, I repeatedly pushed wrong buttons attempting to set my Cruise Control. My wife asked if I didn't want to remove a glove, to make it easier. I responded, "I don't think it's my hands that've lost their focus, but my brain!" That begat this.... Mark Teague)

CRUISE CONTROL BLUES

Won't someone take these gloves from off my brain?
They're a pinchin' me and causin' me some strain!        
        'sgot to where I cain't feel nuffin'
        On account of all this stuffin'
And my eyeballs are beginning to pour rain!

My thoughts keep runnin' on, just like a train,
But the wrong switch throws; now we're sidetracked again!
        If these mitts could just be loosened,
        I might not be so obtuse, and
Causin' my po' wife-mate such a heap of pain!

        My emotions used to run in Cruise Control!
        But my button-pushin' skill's no longer whole!

        Who put these cotton-pickin' tube socks on my Soul,
        Castin' me in the "Befuddled Old Man" role?

I'm so bundled up, I caint see what to say�
The tight fabric of my mind's begun to fray!
        Won't these bees please sheathe their stingers,
        Put my gloves back on my fingers,
And alleviate my mental disarray!

        I might shut down most any minute--
        My life's gotten indiscriminate
        With no vigor, verve or vim in it
                Po', Po' Me!

        Can you help me get more leveled
        So I don't feel so disheveled
        If that happened, I might revel,                
                And get free!

Reviews

[Sheila Kline]

Mark, "Po, Po, Me"....it's somewhat like having what I call, "A Brain Freeze"! I like the way you have expressed your frustrations by turning it into a write to share with others. At those times, I have to take my webcam and point straight at my brain and say.....This picture will return to normal again!!
Interesting and entertaining!!....oh, those cruise control blues!!
Sheila

[R J Askew]

Enjoyed this, which is at once amusing, original and well executed. It also has a slightly daunting angle to it in that it made me think of one or two people of a more advanced aged whose mental faculties have slipped a bit, to say the least!

[Ellen Hammond]

What a witty, hilarious, write to lift our spirits! Could be a SAD song.......SAD as in 'Seasonally Affected Depression'. Mark, you have a wonderful way of putting the blues to rhyme and laughter. I love your sense of humor, and this poem.

[Markymark]

Mark,

Good song. I'd like to hear it sung though. One thing. A song has to have a certain metrical syllable emphasis. Are you sure that the second line of the second stanza is not going to play roughly? I'm not sure...It might be fine being sung.....but reading it, it seems to have one syllable too many. I'm NOT being critical, you know I only want to help out. You know me little bit by now. It's hilarious by the way. I could see me getting frustrated like that. Ha Ha.

I relate.

Later Marcus Araelious (Sp?)

MM

[An owl on the moon]

Laughing, hearing the song playing in my mind! Perfect visual, and you carry it on so well... And sadly, I can relate! Wonderful, shining, lyrical write, Mark!

[LSS]

Mark, you Lout! I mean that in the good sense; you had me laughing hard before I finished the 1st stanza. Maybe its the sound of your mind working as seen thru the medium of the gloves; all fuzzy, warm and obscured. What a wit, and such wonderfully rhymed humor that keeps up the pace til the end, so enjoyable, Thanks.
Lar
p.s. I'm going back to read it again.

[Freder Fredersen (aka G..]

Rolls like the blues. Enjoyed it.

Cheers!
GM

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Mark,

This is incredibly entertaining and clever. It is also quite insightful. We all do have gloves on around our brains and this stuffing insulates us from the world, from things that we would find uncomfortable. Is that a good thing? Not always, I fear, but we humans do love comfort almost above all things! Maybe sometimes we should take the gloves off and feel the cold. The benefit is that we might be more nimble and able to grasp what life really has to offer.

Nice poem, my friend!

Very best regards,

Rick

[LisetteCanWrite!]

Great emotions to get out .. and stay out!!! Had a few cycles of this this winter.. so much has happened so fast to all the people I know.. I've felt lonely because I don't want to visit others.. everyone is depressed a bit.. of course to writers this can cause strain and mind block.. however you managed to work it into a pretty good piece of work here that I think alot of people can relate to.. thank you so much for sharing!!! =)