bashful astroknots

Put me in a Captain America suit and no one would take me seriously.
Put me in a Sir Mike Mitchell painting and you might take me home, you might even join my team.
Put me in a rocket and I’m not just any rocket man, I’m some boy on the internet’s cover of Maynard James Keenan’s cover of Elton John’s Rocket Man.

What I’m trying to say is- you don’t know me yet.

You left me hangin’ like a giant helium balloon at the Macy’s Gray Parade,
when I tried to say good bye, and I choked,
penciled our farewell into my itinerary,
knowing that there’s a whole lot of triumph residing in my procrastination.

It’s just that if you gave your trust fall to my gravity
you’d bear witness to my second wind,
you’d see, there’s a few things I’m trying to make right.

I promise to no longer wear my indecision like trees wear branches,
pointing them away from the source.
I promise to stop trying to find the wrong side of forgiveness.
I promise to finish what I started, no more excuses.
I promise, I know there is no ghost where the light is warm,
I’ll stop looking for things that aren’t there.

I promise I won’t split at the fork in the road,
only to look back and wonder what it’s like on the other side of assumption.

Maybe the fork in the road is a steak knife.
Maybe the road knows what’s at stake.
Maybe the stake needs to be driven- into the ground.

I promise I won’t nail myself to the past.

Parade float and pallbearer alike know that the city doesn’t cater to left hand turns.
So, I’ll follow the right path.

I’m just a bashful astronaut too caught up in my own gravitational pull
to recognize that the space between us is directly related to the trajectory of my sarcasm.

I promise I’m not too caught up in space to recognize that
people tend to be like the ghosts in Mario Brothers.
When you pay attention they freeze up.
When you ignore them they want to get closer.

In the pale light of honesty, we’re all clothed in the same transparency.

We’re all different shades of the same hue, man.
I promise to recognize a painting when I see one,
looks like we’re getting tangled in our finger paints,
like bashful astronauts spreading smear campaigns,
we use oil rigs and watercolors to paint the space
and then tell ourselves that

the sky is an illusion.
The Moon is a desert.
God is a projection.

Show me the light.

I promise to listen intently to every cloud that passes from your lungs.
I promise to dance with the thunder in your ribcage.
And after the eye of my storm passes, if you still wanna say good bye
I promise to drink the ice in your whisper- even though I asked for it neat.

Our circumference is divisible.

I know why Earth keeps Moon close.
I know why Moon keeps her distance.
They see each other in a different light.
Neither one knowing how to break the cycle.

It was an astronaut who had to tell Moon, “You
are not, nor should you ever be,
the resulting equivalent of someone else’s expectations.
Stop assuming and let go.”

But the only guys sent to the moon were scientists,
they were fathers, not poets or painters,
therefore it’s doubtful that Moon got the message.

So it’s my job to tell you-
you didn’t break my heart, you gave it purpose.

If I’m to believe in an afterlife
than I’m gonna need proof that I did something positive with this one.
So please, don’t be so hard on yourself,
carry yourself like the Sistine Chapel
because I made my best impressions in your cathedral
and your spine is a series of pillars
so know where your ceiling is and live up to it
because this now here is all we have-

Look.

You don’t know me yet.

If you did, you’d know that I don’t want to reign like the weatherman,
I want to rain, like the weather, man.

I’m sky-lit, universe-as-a-backdrop,
in flight, open like a parachute,
eyes wide like backwards telescopes,
I promise from the pit of my orchestra section,
from the belly of my wind instrument,
I’m never gonna take the ground for granted,
I’m anchored to a heavy heart, from which I promise,
if you’re there when I land I’m gonna hold you-

like the sky
holds everything.

Reviews

[Theresa C Newbill]

This poem, made me smile. I love the intellect behind the deep meaning and satire, the sarcasm and realism of everything human natured and beyond. Loved it! Very masterfully done. Don't ever sell out my brother, the world needs people like you, with a unique vision. I promise;)

[Lavon Forkeeps]

Finding this was the highlight of my day, on a serious scale. Your word play is genuine and I like your voice in this, because I can hear it. Thanks for that.

[WhoIsAmelia?]

wow...I'm incredibly naive when it comes to poetry (and most other things in life), but I am undoubtedly in love with your writing style! I'm willing to bet that you could write about anything and make it sound beautiful.

[Chris Smith Welshpoetcs]

Some days we need something to give us a smile, for that I thank you ; )

[frankie sanchez]

thank you all so much for the feedback. i'm a little overwhelmed trying to adjust to this site. i've been here before, i'll get the hang of it. thank you though, sincerely, for the reads and the comments.

[Hello, Goodbye]

lol indeed

[J. Cole]

YES. :) (that's to clue you in on who I am. heh)

[Emily B]

worthwhile words, glad I was sent over to see them

[Saraplenty]

This is one of the best pieces of work I have read. Ever.

Thank you.

[Lilly Negoi]

this is excellent! glad i was pointed toward it - it's worth every second taken for reading it and more! and just like V. Blake said - i'd love to see it performed! i bet it would have a great effect!