smiles

i walked through the fire
to the tune of a beloved hound
compassion and indifference
harmonizing well today
ignore the aches and pains
and get me more ingredients
the recipe is not complete
nor will it ever be -
an infinite number of cooks
and an infinite pot of soup
i think i can still make it good.

yeah, i can hear you talking,
the snide comments
you lack the bravery to breathe
in front of their intended targets
that's okay, i do the same,
to you, and others; myself, mostly
too in love with your passive aggression,
you built a hill of stones to stand on
but just keep throwing them at us
when our backs are turned -
your stack is growing short, friend.

i thought things would be different
when the flames grew high in the west
but apparently we'll all just
work through the apocalypse,
and the end will find us
hunched over computer desks
stoves cash registers and dashboards,
as we all die tired, lonely, far from home.

but, smiles.
here is a new day,
and the morning looks bright.