sugar for the pill

and life came 

crashing down on me 

the eye of the tiger 

like the eye of the storm 

was the place i was calm 

and all of your judgement

came over me 

and stepped on my throat 

when i was in the ditches, 

gasping for air 

and all of your love 

all of your kindness 

was just sugar for the pill

it sure made things 

easier to swallow 

because ill be your dog

I’ll be your child 

if it means getting crumbs 

from your table 

im still surprised

sharp blue sky

wind whipping your hat off 

and your hair in your eyes

im still surprised

to have friends

to rant over coffee 

about the weather

about my mother

and the people 

that try to manage me

and the fact that my jeans 

have no front pockets. 

and your drawings 

& doodles are much cooler than mine 

it’s hard to draw a straight line

or even find a pen 

but im still surprised 

to have found a friend 

everyone cries on the steering wheel 

everyone squints when the sun hangs low

i turn my face to the sun and know

that while we still have 

roads to walk

& work to do 

maybe i laugh too fast 

and speak too soon

but it keeps getting better

and im still surprised 

to have found a friend

lay it on me now

the pain it pricks 

indefinitely 

your smile, is kept 

in spite of me 

i keep my pace

persistently 

i call you up 

to hear you speak

and i can take it

lay it on me now 

i can give you the list

of everything

that makes me tough

that makes me laugh

and sometimes cry