Relative Something

.

I am every mistake I’ve ever made
I am just what you make of me
our laughter is feeding energy to every single thing
what if we never heard the song that would become our favorite
would it change who we’ve become?
I can almost see far enough to understand
the lust lingering large in walls of sound
buried within the prose
if you are seeking access to my spending history
press one now
when we were swinging together
side by side in a previous life
I was the kid in somebody else’s drama
waiting for my bit part
to play out in the elegant design
saying those three old words
as if I’d always known

.

.

.

it’s hiding where none of us will ever look
please don’t tell everyone that you already know
we’ve heard the last best reasons time and again
phrases your mother used to use
heavens to Betsy
usually from the kitchen or bottom of the stairs
sucking the salt from the empty peanut shell
one last time
knowing there were some who could chew the whole thing
at least gave us pause
like when the President told the FBI to kill us too
when they had their chance
but we didn’t go bragging to the world about it
there were fires in our fireplaces
slide projector fans blowing their own hot air
pillows on the floor but we still strained our necks
for a better view
and the way the screen smelled when you got real close
with blended chocolate milk whipped to a froth in that small Dixie® cup
there was no clue a virus would show up sixty years later
reshape the world to varying degrees
leave people gasping for a breath
listening to music without any instruments in sight
no records or tapes or discs
no moving parts
practically impossible intractability
echoing from every corner
of every night

.

.