Taking Stock

Open wide and say 'ah.'
Make a fist. Go ahead and get
dressed. Listen to those birds.
No telling what they might be
trying to say. You wouldn't think
they'd be happy with this mess,
but who the hell knows about birds?

You know how it is when you get
something you think you really want
and discover that having it's not nearly
as interesting as wanting it?
You buy a book, for instance,
a book that you've been thinking
for a long time you really must
have, and then it just goes on the
shelf at home, or is added to one
of the growing piles of mostly unread
books. You suppose you're glad
to have it, though. One more thing
you no longer have to want.

You don't know how it happened,
but at some point everything became like
that book you thought you wanted,
and you can't quite decide whether
that's a good thing or a bad thing.