to Sir, with love

Cruising down Wooster Road, headed home

10,000 Maniacs best of + rarities, oddities on my CD player

Natalie belting out To Sir With Love

Chord changes that are impossible to follow

The flight pattern of an elusive bird

So beautiful, the voice, the words, the puzzle of tune

Second verse, a guest singer

Oh God, it’s Michael Stipe, frickin perfect!

A big, fat sax break in the middle

The two join each other for the final chorus

I am singing along, screeching, unable to reach

That high, a few tears gather at the corners of my eyes

Aloft on this song

Lights of Lakewood loom ahead

I want to hold this feeling in a frame

Instead, it is slowly escaping

My blissful, broken heart

The Cranberries' "Dreams" comes on at the cafe

 

Dolores at Tower City

walks by the front kiosk

simple sweater, flat shoes

she seems shocked

that someone recognizes her

fearful I'll blow her cover

I praise her music

she thanks me and keeps walking

her end, a shock to us all

to the many who struggle

with self-loathing

thoughts of suicide

she comes in a song every now and then

I still love her music

she still lives

in little surprises

such as this

down into Silence

down into Silence

a ladle into the saucepan

a boy down the well

in search of his dog

you cannot tell

who you are

in the absence

 

vital systems, pumps

and pistons, soaring

into dysfunction

 

but this is different

 

raises rather than slams

listens rather than fixes

your best pitch

and the ditch has risen

to lift the ball

over the heads in the outfield

your last meal

and you eat to fill

your good karmas

your paltry inaction

gorge to gross completion

immense satisfaction

just leave it

your hopelessly tousled hair

your midriff leaking out

from under your shirt

that itch in your calf that keeps returning

you have to bend to scratch

and invariably throw your back out of whack

you know, just leave it

you're in the top 50%

of souls departing middle age for Valhalla

on the train in the night undercover

of faithlessness and tremors

you'll be okay

just remember what made you

the light that shines from within

your top 3 reasons for waking in the morning

the kindness you did once

for a worm washed by the rain

let it sun out on your shoulder

when no one was watching