Old Poem

You can steal away that ball of fur
And feed it crackers in your room.
Your mother says you never take care of anything
And you don’t exactly plan to prove her wrong.
That kitten will run away some day
And live to be twenty-five. 1

There’s a woman at the border crossing
Who’s forgotten her groceries
And you can tell yourself that if you were there
You’d stock her fridge for free.
You can be really truthful and admit to yourself
You do whatever seems comfortable at the time. 2

You can kill a mosquito and ask yourself
Whether it was a sin or a waste of time.
To think of the bigger things,
Like how many cells does it take to make a soul?
Makes you feel wise, just for asking the questions.
You can be brutally honest and admit
You’re just killing time. 3

You strap the baby down and drown his cries
With songs you heard in high school,
But not for long. You risk his neck
To soothe him and keep your sanity.
That boy will call you mama one day
And you won’t know what to think.