PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Remember back

in high school

when instruments

like accordion and banjo

were viewed as Poindexter

nerdy instruments?

You picked on the kid

that has to play

those instruments

in the school band

and then you grow up,

drink a lot of beer,

smoke a lot of pot,

chew a few mushrooms

and fail miserably

in love and life

and wind up doing shit

you never wanted to do

and suddenly

you listen to Poindexter

playing Cajun, Zydeco

Bluegrass on his instrument

and you realize just

how wrong you were

and maybe that’s why

you ended up here right now

in this unsavory position

and the Rock Gods start looking

foolish if not dead

Well, I guess we can’t

be hung for the folly of youth

but it does cast a pall

on the rest of the day

and the beer remains

and you’re too old

to keep tripping at Dead shows

on mountains in Colorado

or beaches in Southern Cal

listen to that banjo play

and suddenly you feel

like Jed Clampitt

but even that has

to be better than this

It is one good reason

to not go back

to high school again

It wouldn’t be cool

to listen to music like this

and that would be

a really crushing loss

9-25-97