. . . and what do we make of this?

(Hmmm . . . could there be a dark side to MQMurphy? Another bit from the early 90's)

Presents

Thank you, my sweet family,
for this birthday present you've
given me. Fifty feet of crisp new
rope, and a big yard to play in - I'll
race you to the fence.
This coil of manilla; I'll show you a
turban - or a crown. Shake it loose, let it
settle down
on my shoulders - a yoke -
this reminds me of a joke
that I'm just making up
about the boy who hoisted
the family Toyota into a tree
by throwing a rope over a limb
and tying it to the bumper.
"Stand back! - and witness
the strongest man in ten counties!",
he cried.
The slipknot slipped, tightened, he died -
but not before the car was a
good ten feet off the ground.

Yet again, an old thing

Here’s something from an old notebook. Actually, something on a scrap of paper that was in a notebook – and the last dated entry in this notebook is from April of 1994. Also, I'm not saying that I won't take this and try to make it into something else. It sets up a theme - there's a punch to be delivered at the end, perhaps. I haven't got the punch yet.

If I were to title it today, maybe it would be “Not Being There” or maybe "Getting Nowhere" – but it doesn’t have a title.

I struggle to keep my
anonymity a secret.
I deposit checks
after crossing out my name.

I disguise my handwriting,
Or make it completely illegible,
If necessary.

I eat my words;
I eat yours too.

I’ve modified my calculator
To display only zeros.

I stand in a corner like God’s
Forgotten Hobby.

I’ve considered moving
To a town that’s gone under.
Much the less in those empty storefronts
To tempt my consumer’s soul.

Family - two legged variety

My far-flung family reassembled at Cape May Point this past week. We hosted the Eighth Scavenger Hunt and hung out together - as much as possible, given work schedules. Spent an hour or so at the beach on Wednesday picking cheery babies out of the air and pretty stones out of the sand.