Thursday, January 27, 2011

New Playmate Poem II

The frozen lake at two am looks the same
as the lake on a June evening, just as bright
except I'm standing on the ice now
and we're laughing--you're terrified,
can't get your footing and you crawl
hands and knees, tears falling from eyes
the hilarity too overwhelming to stay dry
I'm calling you names from the middle
where I stand shaking with no coat
but my feet aren't going anywhere,
I guess I'm just waiting for you

when you finally stand up in front of me, you say
"when we hang out, I feel like I'm going to die"
I think of the others who've said the same thing
but I don't hold it against you, I just put my arms
around you and do a sliding dance and make up a song
about how pathetic you were on your hands and knees

I don't think I've ever laughed that hard
my stomach hurts more violently every day
but I think if we walk right to the shore
it'll end up being okay,

I just don't want to die crossing the road,
I said and you nodded thinking of all the times
death had tickled your ankles in everyday ways,
but just follow my lead and I think we'll make
find a way to get kicked out of the obituaries
for sheer profanity and that's how They'll know.

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