Good Night
When you brushed and flossed and rinsed your teeth,
_You gave nary a thought
To a gap you almost never reach.
I am that spot.
Those brilliant words you never said
_Now rattling inside your head;
But when you needed them, you froze.
_I am those.
The guy who was the boss’s friend
_Who really glared at you when
You said, “Hey everybody, this is Wayne.”
_ I am his real name.
The day is done. You lie in bed
Replaying all this in your head
You toss, you turn, you count the sheep.
_I am your sleep.
The Old Guy
I spoke to an old guy yesterday
Who had depressing things to say:
That time is slipping fast away
_And he is feeling low;
Kids addicted to their screens
Communicating now in memes,
Echoing their TikTok streams
_So sad, the status quo;
He spoke of his psoriasis;
Fell on his arm and sprained his wrist;
And a lengthy list of specialists
_Has filled his medicine shelf;
He concluded that though he’s hangin’ tough,
The world’s become a bit too rough.
I turned away, I’d had enough
I gotta quit talking to myself.
Kevin Ahern is a Professor Emeritus of biochemistry from Oregon State University. His website is www.kevingahern.com.
