There is this
Thing called knowing
Gnawing at me
A voice that
Only grows louder
When I’m alone
I heard it
First when young
Begging to belong
To capitulate to
Ignore my moral
Compass and sail
On the fickle
Winds of others
But now at
This age of
My own life
Having conquered my
World and wars
I finally listen
Understanding that this
Voice of knowing
Knows me better
Than anyone else
Bringing the peace
Of my age
And so I
Tried this once
Like an experiment
Back in Denver
I went to
The same bar
At the same
Time I ordered
The same cocktail
Sat on the
Same stool and
Talked to the
Same bartender about
The same things
Every single day
For two weeks
Rather than causing
Suspicion from patrons
It caused curiosity
Who was he
This dependable creature
It’s simply me
Knowing that if
A dish is
Placed among mongrels
And feral cats
Eventually they dine
Without any effort
From me besides
Kindness and consistency
For most are
Frightened by things
Unusual at first
But eventually will
Come to me
Rather than me
Pleading for attention
I grew weary
Of the constant
Knock knock knocking
Of strangers on
My door only
To open it
To so many
No ones or
Potential someone’s that
Quickly descended into
No ones that
I drilled a
Hole to peek
Out thereby avoiding
My wasted time
But I discovered
After a while
That my idea
Of evaluating someone
Based upon appearance
Made me a
Very lonely man
So off the
Door came and
No more knocking
For all were
Welcome here now
And as I
Took that one
Last fateful step
Wading farther out
Then ever before
The sandbar gave
Way to canyon
Pulling me under
With only the
Filtering shimmering sun
Showing me which
Direction was up
Like a whale
Cold darkness tried
To swallow me
But my legs
And arms flailed
In panic of
Dying rising me
Higher until at
Last I popped
Like a bobber
Above the water
When hope cast
As a rope
Was thrown by
Friends to me
And they and
Not me brought
Me back to
Them for yes
I had wandered
Foolishly beyond myself
But they knew
Where I belonged
There is this
Way that we
Talk like cooking
Together gathering this
And that dicing
And then tossing
Them to boil
The intoxicating aromas
Of ideas simmering
Like playing a
Lazy game of
Catch lobbing ideas
At one another
Like a baseball
As we sit
Down to devour
This thing that
We created together
A saucy repartee
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 