THEY SAY IT BEGAN
ADVERSE TO THE PLAN
WHEN I ARRIVED
JUST IN TIME
IN A PLAN SO SUBLIME,
MY MOTHER WAS
COVERED
IN RED PUFFY BUMPS
ALL OF A SUDDEN
THEY QUARANTINED
THESE ITCHY OLD LUMPS
BARELY BEFORE
THE GRAND ARRIVAL
OF A BIG SLEEPY GIRL
WHO WAS BENT
ON SURVIVAL,
AND SO IT WENT
I WAS QUICKLY SENT
AWAY FROM MY MOM
TO THE FAMILY HOUSE
WHERE EXPERIENCED
LADIES CRADLED ME,
FED AND CHANGED
AND SANG FOR FREE,
MY AUNTIE AND GRANNY
TAKING CHARGE
OF THE FIRST REAL KID
TO ARRIVE ON A BARGE
OF LOVE AND LAUGHTER,
WHILE MY POOR LITTLE
MOTHER
WAS TEARFUL AND FEARFUL
FOREVER AFTER,
SHE MISSED THE TIME
OF THE CRADLED TOUCH,
THE ONE WHERE A CHILD
LEARNS ABOUT SUCH
WONDERFUL THINGS
LIKE NIPPLES AND RINGS,
NO BREASTFEEDING
ALLOWED
IN THIS FAMOUS CROWD:
I OFTEN WONDER
ABOUT THIS BLUNDER
AND SURMISE
WITH SURPRISE
THAT PERHAPS IT WAS
MEANT TO BE,
ESPECIALLY NOW
THAT I KNOW JUST HOW
MY PATH BEGAN
THAT DAY,
THE YEARS BETWEEN
MY BIRTH
AND DREAM
WERE ALWAYS MEANT
TO SURPRISE,
FOR I FIND THE HOPE
AND FLYING SCOPE
OF MISSIONS
OFTEN UNHEARD,
I CARRY THE
TALENT
FOR VISION
AND WORD
UNDOUBTEDLY
ISSUED BY FAMILY
FOLKS,

THOSE WHO
SUSPEND
THE DIFFERENT
STROKES,
THE REBELS
AND CRAZIES
THE WRITERS
AND CHEFS,
THE WIZARDS WHO
DESIGN
AND THOSE WHO
INCLINE
TO BURY THEIR
LIVES WITH WISHES,
THEY SWIM LIKE
FISHES
AROUND AND
AROUND,
AND NEVER ARRIVE
BY THE LIGHT
OR THE SOUND,
BUT I AWAYS HID
THE SECRETLY
KID, WATCHING
AND WAITING
TO SPEAK AND
BE SEEN,
WHILE OTHERS
WOULD ASK
TO EXPLAIN
MY DREAM,
I SANG
AND I WROTE
AS THE CHILD
OF HOPE,
THAT SOMEONE
WOULD LISTEN
AND NOTICE
MY SKILLS,
IT HAS GIVEN
ME CHILLS
UP TO NOW,
BUT THE GIFT
OF MY FAMILY
WAS THIS:
A SENSE OF
THE PLAN
THAT JUMPED
IN AND RAN,
EXERTING MY
DREAM TO THE
WORDLY MACHINE,
LIKE IT OR NOT
ASSURING MY SHOT
AT THE BIG MILKY WAY
ON A JUDGEMENT DAY,
NOW THAT TIME
HAS COME
AND I DEPART
TO INTRODUCE
A PIECE OF MY ART
TO A WRANGLERS
CROWD
SPEAKING OUT LOUD,
I FIND MY WAY
TO THE
JUDGEMENT DAY…
WHAT MORE
CAN I SAY
BUT TAKE THEM
ALONG
HOPING THEY
JOIN IN A
VERY SWEET SONG!

©JW WINSLOW 3/1/2022