THIS GRIN
FULL OF
CHAGRIN,
TWO SEPARATE
FRONT TEETH
BEHIND A
BIG SMILE,
IT CAME WITH
THE ATTITUDE
OF HIGH SELF
ESTEEM,
ASSUMING THAT
ALL OF US
KNEW OF HIS
SCHEMES,
TALL TALES
WHILE YOUNG
BEGAN QUITE
EARLY,
NOTING THE
SIGNS OF HUMOR,
(FOREVER
BEHIND
BRIGHT
RUMBLING
RUMOR)
I GUESS IT
WAS CLEAR
THAT HE WANTED
OUR LOVE,
WHILE PROVING
TO BE QUITE
A SCOUNDREL
EARLY IN LIFE
IT BECAME
A BIG JOKE
TO WATCH THE
NEXT ACTION
READY TO POKE,
HE GAMBLED
HE DRANK
HE WORKED LIKE
A DOG,
AND BECAME
THE BEST PAL
TO HIS CIRCLE
AND ALL
THE FINE YOUNG
LADIES
WHO TURNED INTO
ONE,
HE MARRIED HER
QUICKLY
BEFORE SHE
COULD RUN,
AND SO
FOR THE YEARS
THAT HE
LIVED OUT
THESE DREAMS
ALWAYS
SURPRISING
GOLDEN CLAD
SCHEMES,
HE CHARMED
AND WAITED,
ANTICIPATED
WHILE FLYING
HIGH AS A KITE,
IT WAS BOUND
TO BE THERE
ALTHOUGH
HE WOULD SWEAR,
WHILE BEGGING
A BED FOR
THE NIGHT,
OR ROLLING
WITH JOY
UP TO THE TABLE
WITH KINGS AND
JACKS
A WINNER
WHEN ABLE,
I ALWAYS
REMEMBER
A VISIT HE MADE
TO MY SINGLE
GIRL HOUSE
IN LAGUNA,
PLAYING WITH
KIRBY
WEARING HIS
DERBY,
WATCHING ME
MAKE SALAD
DRESSING,
THE BLESSING
OF WHICH
WAS THE
CONSTANT
APPROVAL OF
WATCHING MY
DATES
COME AND GO,
LAUGHING AT
COURTSHIP
AND ALL THE FINE
GUYS
UNTIL I GOT SNAGGED
BY A SWEET ROMEO,
WHAT A SURPRISE…
AND NOW SO
MUCH LATER
I CANNOT DISTILL
THE THINGS THAT
HE DID
WHILE RUNNING
THE HILLS,
WE CHASED HIM
AND
EVEN TRIED
TO REPLACE HIM,
AGAINST A
DETERMINED WHIM,
WHILE HIS FAMILY
ERASED THE SON
OF RELUCTANCE,
ONLY TO COME
BACK AGAIN,
BUT MOSTLY
BETWEEN
AND DIRTY
AND CLEAN,
HE WAS A DEAR
FRIEND,
LAUGHING
AND TELLING
UNTIL THE
NEAR END,
REFUSING TO
ADMIT A DOUBT
OF THIS
CRAZY
LIFE
COMING ABOUT,
AND NOW
HE’S GONE,
AND WE ARE
SAD
BECAUSE THIS
MAN
WAS NOT SO BAD,
JUST HIMSELF
AN ORIGINAL,
WITH A VIRGINAL
LAUGH
FOR A FUNERAL,
HE PUSHED THE
LAST MOMENTS
OUT TO THE END,
HANGING
ON TIGHTLY
WHILE HE
COULD DEPEND
ON THE LIGHT
FROM ABOVE
TO SEND HIM
SOME LOVE,
WAITING FOR
THE ANGELS…
AND NOW THEY
PLAY POKER
AND DICE
IN HEAVEN,
WITH MARTY
THE WINNER
HE THREW
A BIG SEVEN…
GOD BLESS YOU
WILD MAN
ENJOY WHILE
YOU CAN
WE SEND YOU
A RAINBOW
AND HOPE THAT
YOU LAND
IN A CRADLE
OF DREAMS,
JUST AS YOU
WISHED FOR,
YOUR LIGHTNING
JUST BEAMS…
©JW WINSLOW 4/1/2021