Strike

Today I am on strike
against poetry
and anything else
that may prove
to show me a good time
because today I have venom in my blood
and it's not just bad coffee
something has caused me
to rethink my patterns

so I made my way
up different stairs
and different escalators
and used different trains
to get to the same place
that I knew I would end up at
anyway

I stood when I would have usually sat
I grimaced when I would have usually smiled
I reacted like a lunatic when I would have usually stayed fairly calm
all to make sure
that I keep from crawling outside myself
from the inside

nothing really big happened this morning
but nothing really big happens any morning
the dog found something he wasn't supposed to
my lunch was thrown together in a rush
and my coffee wasn't sweet enough

still
I don't recall what put a thorn in my side
but by the time I got to the train
I wanted to sell my house
and move to Oregon
or at least California

by the time I was called into my boss' office
I was calmed to the point of agreeability
I went and got some coffee that was perfectly sweet
I forced myself to find something to laugh about
and now I am on strike
against myself
--
8.30.07