like a pack of cigarettes, i come with a warning

i lose things in plain sight, (i suspect cloaking by aliens)
i believe in magic, laughter, imagination and the power of joy
i am often suspended in wonderment and awe
i feign dislike of cats, they sit on my lap and laugh at me
i notice everything, i feel everything i notice,
i have learned that i'll survive anyway

books multiple in my house and take over flat surfaces
music is everywhere, just listen . . .
i'm often cryptic (stone skimming the water, thoughts rapidly advancing . . .)
i've lost hours to the wanderings of my mind, and the zen of free cell
i play spoons, love the sea and can sing at least one song in french
i hate morning showers, thousands of tiny drops of water being flung at me,
and me, too groggy most mornings to evade them
but, oh, bring me within diving-in distance of the ocean or a large puddle
too torturous to deny this passion. . . one splash and i am dolphin-like
with the weight of gravity gone, liquid-freedom of movement delicious

i don't own any high heels, have some socks, but i
never wear them except for the moose pair when it snows
i understand the infield fly rule and obsessive bifurcation
but have no idea why anyone waits for happiness to find them
and can't conceive living without loving in my life
i hate the taste of green peppers, but think them pretty
(i've known a few men i feel the same way about)

sometimes, i laugh while i'm crying, and think it quite sane
i often feel fear and dread, but haven't the ability to sustain either
impatient, i leap, yet afraid, into dark corners, depending
on a tag team of guardian angels to catch me, or pick me up
(sometimes they don't, even angels need time off)
i'm rarely impressed by wealth, power over others or meanness
but anyone with passion, kind, respectful regard and courage
might gain my undying admiration and affection, without end

it's possible that i've lost great loves for not holding them tightly
but can't believe any love, once becoming real, is ever lost,
or that something so intangible and interminable can be lost, or held
i only know how to love without end, love that is fierce and unconditional
so i come with a warning, like a pack of cigarettes, be wary,
engaging with this woman may lead to discombobulation,
or, possibly, an inexplicable outbreak of joy. . .

24 October 2004