aayoungi don’t remember
ever having claimed
to be sane
as none of us are
however i am
one of the most logical
people on earth
i make mr. spock look like rick james
when logic is applied
any problem or query
mathematical
emotional
or sociological
may be solved
this is an attribute on which
myself
my family
and my friends
have come to rely
indeed
we all have our demons
accept yours in stride
mine are wearing
pink bow pig tails
and hello kitty thigh highs
we were
front porch of the bar
refugees
escaping the after midnight noise
and creeping stench of miller high life
seeking a rock
elevated enough
to smoke a cigarette
upon sitting
he insisted i should wrap myself in his coat
to take away the chill
of late september
he kissed the spot deemed sacred
in my hairline
then asked
Baby, did you know the stars don’t really twinkle? Atmospheric conditions block the light from reaching are eyes intermittently and create the illusion of twinkling light.
i remembered that night
yesterday afternoon
as i taught my circle time enraptured students
about the universe
the milky way galaxy
and a mnemonic device for recalling
the names of all nine planets
pluto still exists in my classroom
and for a moment
so did my love for you
as joey left holding hands
asking his father
Guess what Miss Alicia taught me today? Stars don’t really twinkle! It’s an atmospheric interruption of light…
i have taken
to walking at night
through the backfields of my life
drawing ink from the well pond
surrounded by a chamber choir of
minstrel toads
tenor and baritone balanced
the bass has a loose string
my smile shapes into nirvana
as i am
a lover of imperfect things
in this place where i wash away the blood
from gruesome playground injuries
i know myself to be a reality
an unfolding lotus blossum
the drones buzz around me
urging me to assume my place as queen
at the risk of being beheaded
fear be damned
i have nothing to lose but regret
when the world has given all of itself
to nocturnal things
i seek the sage counsel
of the elders who placed the pomegranate trees
in eden
they tell me to command the fireflies
to float upward
becoming stars
knowing it is i
who determines my fate
avalon built in one night
to be burned again tomorrow
the planets revolve in the palm of my hand
when i consider the algonquin princess
from whose ancient earth-mother chromosomes
i sprang
greek gods conspire to please me
nectar sent from mount olympus
i am humbled with acceptance
my feet no longer feel the ground below
i float over the river styx
hummingbirds fly with lanterns
hanging from their bills
filled with luciferase glow
all of this majesty
so that i may
find my way to heaven
before the gates are closed