Birthdays, Again, & Happiness
Just at the moment I was remembering
that I had forgotten, nearly, your birthday,
again (I do it every year)
I was struck by a death-wish deer.
She only took the mirror, smudged the window
with deer snot, shattered what was left of my
October nerves & left no doubt as to the
ridiculousness of these daily drives.
This is my Jesus year after all,
you’ve survived yours (and, now, another)
and I have aches & pains and all of this talk
of change & danger can’t help but worry even us, right?
What is it about getting older that makes
shoulder pain, forgetfulness & politics
more significant? Or is it that we’re really
near the end of it all? (How many more years on the Mayan calendar?)
What was it Socrates said about living the good life?
(We have the pieces of precious paper to prove we believe.)
Isn’t that why we spend all our time talking to these adult-lets
about “iron-strings” and, God-willing, sprung-rhythm?
It’s too bad that deer had to die on your birthday.
I’m nearly certain it would have lived another year
if I would have jumped ship and missed another year’s work & play.
But the road must have it sacrifices, and happiness is still a morning walk with friends for coffee.
28 October 2008
that I had forgotten, nearly, your birthday,
again (I do it every year)
I was struck by a death-wish deer.
She only took the mirror, smudged the window
with deer snot, shattered what was left of my
October nerves & left no doubt as to the
ridiculousness of these daily drives.
This is my Jesus year after all,
you’ve survived yours (and, now, another)
and I have aches & pains and all of this talk
of change & danger can’t help but worry even us, right?
What is it about getting older that makes
shoulder pain, forgetfulness & politics
more significant? Or is it that we’re really
near the end of it all? (How many more years on the Mayan calendar?)
What was it Socrates said about living the good life?
(We have the pieces of precious paper to prove we believe.)
Isn’t that why we spend all our time talking to these adult-lets
about “iron-strings” and, God-willing, sprung-rhythm?
It’s too bad that deer had to die on your birthday.
I’m nearly certain it would have lived another year
if I would have jumped ship and missed another year’s work & play.
But the road must have it sacrifices, and happiness is still a morning walk with friends for coffee.
28 October 2008
posted by W.C.P. at 8:54 AM
1 Comments:
I really like this. I like how all the disparate images (deer, jesus, socrates, diplomas and coffee) are tied together, and I like the first three stanzas especially, and the first line of the last stanza.
The irony of the close-call/wreck and the forgotten/remembered birthday is handled with precision and not overdone.
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