Emergence
Living alone, I've gone a bit crazy.
I've fallen into this endless routine
Of doing nothing.
It's easy, really,
When there's nobody to bug you to do stuff,
To do nothing all day.
It's rather mind-numbing, really.
Maybe I should go somewhere with people.
No, I don't think so.
Never mind, I go out the door.
Never mind.
Here I am.
Commencement
I am the boy with his hands raised over his head.
I am the mother cheering for her six-year-old.
I am the teacher, watching her student spread her wings.
The mentor, at a confirmation.
The younger brother at his sister's award ceremony.
I am the lioness encouraging her cubs to play,
Practicing hunting for later in life.
I am the mother bird watching her babies fly away.
I am the parents sending the eldest off to college.
Waving goodbye, how we flood with trust.
Poetry Unit
I hate poetry.
Not poetry, really.
I just hate the poetry unit.
The stupid repetition of stuff
I've already learned before,
The teacher
Who ruins all respect I once had of poetry,
Which was a lot,
And the writing of poems ending in such stupid lines as,
"The delicate fineness of her wrist."
Entropy
Confusion - this was in a dream -
We all ran around looking for the cheese.
The biggest mongoose wandered into the doghouse.
And the cow in black leather
Meditated on the existence of life.
Suddenly, with a bang.
It was human genome week.
Somebody told me
That cephalopods headed for your feet.
Then the second smallest Elvis murmured,
"What's this? What's this?"
Pale Yellow
I don't like weddings.
But when my friend's rolled around
I made sure to dress up nicely
And actually do my hair that morning.
I bothered to get a nice present
And choke down a bit of champagne.
And the cake, although it was good.
We danced and congratulated the bride and groom.
They asked if we were enjoying ourselves
And we were.
Nostalgia
"Childhood memories are always a drag,"
Other people may say
If they're lying.
Childhood was fun.
We didn't worry about what would happen
Next year.
We only wanted our next meal.
He threw a water balloon at me.
And I stuck my tongue out and tossed another one back.
All the while, I was quite happy.