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not exactly fair
by Gabriel RicardIt’s not that I’m psychic,
but sometimes I’ve used two sleepless nights
to get three days away from the trouble
I caused in my days of knowing when the traffic
wanted a piece of me and knowing how to live
through the fires I started on the top floor.
Some of my dreams include stories about the future,
but I’ve always been a fan of writing material
that can’t decide if it wants to be
wild fiction or just boring true crime. There’s no telling
how much of what I see is actually going to happen.
Most of the future is pretty threatening. It’s adrenaline, anxiety
and an interactive slide show that goes faster
than a roller-coaster trying to recreate Revelations
with louder music, meaner freaks and a lot more fire.
It pulls your arms off, snaps your neck three times and leaves you
mumbling about the children you meant to have. Then obviously
you wake up, and everything is more or less alright.
Not quite though, and I guess that’s kind of the point.
You can’t walk away from everything. You can’t be eighteen
and wear the same cool jacket past twenty-five. Sooner or later
you’re pretty sure there was never a time when you weren’t afraid
of not being able to keep up or laugh when it’s better to start sobbing.
You can’t be sarcastic about someone else
hiding your blood under their fingernails. That kind of thing
belongs to kids who are probably going to waste
those couple of good years anyway.
I know I did.
That’s why I get my fortune telling
done by movie stars who only kind of look the way they’re supposed to.
That’s why the people who only see me
once every three months celebrate when I walk through the door.
Every day it gets a little harder to call someone I love
when it’s finally safe to breathe.
You can’t trust your instincts in a card game forever.
That’s an obvious one I’ve had to learn the hard way.
Another is that angels are a lot better at knocking down cop cars.
They have swords and a bunch of eternity in little jars.
Not exactly fair if you ask me.
08/12/2010 Posted on 08/12/2010
Copyright © 2024 Gabriel Ricard
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Ken Harnisch on 08/12/10 at 11:27 PM a veritable beachfront studded with metaphorical diamonds on which I can stand and pick with my amazed eyes for a long, long time. My favorite lines: "It’s adrenaline, anxiety
and an interactive slide show that goes faster
than a roller-coaster trying to recreate Revelations
with louder music, meaner freaks and a lot more fire," Which seems an awful lot like America to me these days and "You can’t trust your instincts in a card game forever," which seems an awful lot like life. Bravo, sir!
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| Posted by George Hoerner on 08/13/10 at 01:18 AM It is really amazing that we can "wake up and things are more of less alright". There are so many places in the world were that unfortunately isn't true. But of course there are places like that in every major city I've ever been in, in this country also. Another fine one Gabe. |
| Posted by Charlie Morgan on 08/13/10 at 07:45 PM ...gabe, i love, just love all your mental walk, treks, travails...you are the renaissance man in writing. ever. |
| Posted by Paul Lastovica on 08/14/10 at 04:54 AM it's only unfair if said angels are fighting for the other side =) |
| Posted by Tim D Livingston on 08/14/10 at 07:00 PM Definitely one to pick through again. I like the 2nd stanza. I guess we all see something coming, we just don't know to what degree it will actually happen or how. Enjoyed it! |
| Posted by Linda Fuller on 08/16/10 at 12:55 AM Another sparkling bead in a long string - enjoyed it. |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 08/26/10 at 04:34 PM Up to your usual antics I see Mr. Ricard. Fun read. Aptly captures that sense of irony and human tragedy, one hand full of peanuts and shot of tequila at a time. |
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