starting my studies early
i waded through
the necessary niceties
of empty bottle tossing
sadistic toilet training
thumb sucking, and crying
not necessarily in that order
finally finding myself in the
thorny throes of learning the alphabet
a tale with an astronomical learning curve

not having the privileged
advantage of knowing
Mr. Roberts and his Sesame Street friends
i struggled mightily
using every tooth and nail trick
i inherited from my father
but to no avail
in desperation the only
mystical method remaining
was to try the 12 step path
taking the first three steps
allowing them to represent
those first three letters
has served me well
that has been
all i've ever needed

now i barely make it
to my local a, b, c store
where i am saved
by another bottle of bourbon

07/11/2005