i walk around and shake
rebound make myself sit down
watching the quake in my hands
calm as i will myself still
and don’t look anywhere but ahead
or you’re dead metaphorically speaking
from all the mental tweaking of
things you’ve said and not said
i’ll walk up the walls to niagra falls
if you catch me when i tumble down
without a frown with a cheshirecat grin
on my tintype machine what i mean
to say is i know i’m a pest but that’s
not the rest of story of edmund gorey illustrations
and relations of wit to whatnot like a clock
on a cinderblock wall in washington mall
my mind’s out for the day
that’s all i should say right now
while i run away inside and hide
from you and my
embarrassing mouth
it’ll go further south
if i keep
talking
and shaking and
quaking — mistaking
you for future reference
as something i
can’t see you’ll
never be to
me
yowsa!
now there is a mouth full