Living Below The Fray

If you will not try, you will go to your grave with your song still inside you. - Thoreau

fluff my flat pillow

dry my salty tears

check under the bed for clipped toenails, ballooned condoms with holes, what's left of my mind and unwanted years

fill the torn holes in my holy, praying knees

the ones in comforting, faded dungarees

can't you feel there's change blowing in the wind

in this colorless place where heavy, leaded paint gets thinned

where lonely hearts are caught and pinned

where both day and night have pointless contests over who's more chagrinned

and doctor kevorkian delivers beautiful, breach babies that sinned

don't judge me

don't throw away the rusty key

don't even bother entering a faded plea

you well remember the stark, dreamy pictures we drew

all the deep, godly things we knew

with one worn sneaker and one resoled, dress shoe

like sherlock holmes and dr. watson without a clue

it's not what you cowardly ponder but what you courageously do

remembering that mickey started out as an ink on paper shrew

it's time to take a stand

time to join the band

even with a leaky pituitary gland

remembering that pharoahs always get fanned in a hot, dry land

and swimming, jumping tuna eventually get canned

regardless of the stinking factory or smelly brand

trust me, 'round the clock it's manned

despite all the places from which you might be banned

it doesn't take a committee to make a plan

knowing that gucci and armani started out with nothing but a strand

even if it's on one cash ridden limb and one credit card clutching hand

stop my fruitless crying

or at least die trying

hug me

along with teetering mountains, a thirsty desert and a drowning sea

tell me everything will be okay

do it without having anything meaningful or profound to say

after all tomorrow is another day

here in this place where anything is possible

where the music's good and loud

where asphalt and concrete get plowed

here where frolicking feet are made of clay

where talking points and sign language have nothing to say

where there's no other choice but to stay

come what surely will or what eventually may

trust me, there's no other way

living below the fray

Author's Note

"In Homer and Chaucer there is more of the innocence and serenity of youth than in the more modern and moral poets. The Iliad is not Sabbath but morning reading, and men cling to this old song, because they still have moments of unbaptized and uncommitted life, which give them an appetite for more." - Thoreau

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

This sounded like Ken's Thousand Pages somehow, which is good. Not sure, but felt that bullet type poetry. Every line can stand on its own. I like the whole message or the individual ones. Are you experimenting with new forms???
Bless your efforts.................

[Pete]

like a hamster on a wheel, sometimes it starts spinning and i can't stop it especially with music blaring and egging me on. you know me, no singular method or plan just whatever materializes despite having a usual, familiar style. thank you and good day to you kind sir. remember to breathe the sunshine and look to the sides as well as straight ahead ... :)

[Sami Khalil]

Hehehe! All wonderful. Breathing hard after the speech yesterday. Lol
All understandable. You are welcome on any wheel.

[Pete]

oh yes, the state of the disunion. i caught some of it. always a fantastic dog & pony spectacle receptacle. politics ain't for the faint of heart ... :

[Sami Khalil]

I agree. God help us.

[Sami Khalil]

By the way, if you see a Ballon above your retreat, please shoot it down. Lol

[Pete]

i was having a good day. you had to heave all that upon me. far too much to bear ... :)

[Sami Khalil]

Hehehe.
As long as you don't confuse it with a bird.

[Sami Khalil]

"remembering that pharoahs always get fanned in a hot, dry land
and swimming, jumping tuna eventually get canned"

[Pete]

can't argue with that now can you ... :)

[Sami Khalil]

Nope. I can't... .

[Pete]

smiling. sami, i always know everything is okay when you are in the house ... :)

[Sami Khalil]

Yes siiiirrrrr. Thank you kindly

[Sami Khalil]

"here in this place where anything is possible
where the music's good and loud
where asphalt and concrete get plowed"

[Pete]

don't they just though ... :)

[Sami Khalil]

All true and well said

[Sami Khalil]

"it's time to take a stand
time to join the band"

[Pete]

when 'tis time, 'tis time no matter ... :)

[Sami Khalil]

Revolution is at hand. Maybe world War 3