Spend a little time in an unfamiliar bed
Let alien sirens sing you to sleep
I used to think that power was knowing where you are going
But now I know
getting lost is where it’s at
Stop troubling over the question of whether all of the make-up
people wear on television
makes them clowns or drag queens.
Just tickle yourself at the thought that the higher the definition gets
the more lines and wrinkles appear
So relax
Breathe in the tiny hells.
Taste the singed hairs in the back of your throat.
Bathe in dry creek beds
Light up all the swimming pools.
Climb the ladder.
Peek into that window.
Let life punch you in the face
Then let it blow your hair back
Into place
Then take shower with it
Share a washcloth
Soap up life
Make it a ritual
Like breakfast
Or band practice.
(This poem was originally recited at The Comet on October 10, 2014 in Cincinnati, OH)