i am/you are friendly/enemies

friends like you

have to be taken

with a side-order of mischief.

nothing wrong with you,

just easier to deal with you

in a light-hearted way.

because otherwise you tend

to react upon me

like one of those plumb-weight jimmies.

who likes a bunch of lead in the stomach?

not i.

so i’ll plague you to death,

friend,

for the sake of my sanity.

if you gave me your picture

— the best shot of you ever —

right now i’d hold it out in the rain,

just because i’d be curious

to see you dripping off the page.

i’ve always tried to beat you

at everything i possibly could.

maybe you’ve given up?

you would.

not i.

and if this is some final, last-ditch effort to outsmart me …

               well, then.

               i’ll beat you at beating me.

               so see if i don’t.