On The New Year

That mother city that bore me
Its thick rust air and salamander ghosts
The friendly abused and addicted
Black night frozen winter camaraderie
I carry it back to the Midwest
Away from the virginal lake to the landlocked mind of solitude
Still brushing golden brown love canal dust
From my shoulders and my heart

Feeble carrying a weight to mundane to understand
Back to her geometric smile and shiny sharp eyes like glass
Washed anew on a salty beach of permanence
Cleansing me with their youthful faith
Away from broken bones and misery pains
Away from trash heap nightmares to real and profound to be dreams
Away from dumb luck and heavenly disaster
To her and her punk scorn with a lash of hard love

Suddenly at ease with time to spare
My mind's eye a wall to lean against
No rush when the days no longer go by like there's no tomorrow
To abandon being caught between summer heat and winter disinterest
Ephemeral coughs of uncertainty south of the Badlands
To forgo gnashing my bleeding teeth on jagged thoughts
With a bent back swollen pink and oblong
To reside in a palace of peace and ubiquity

I must remember to thank her outside my baby steps
Passed the reprieve of forbearance
To live as one like the moon solemn yet free
Content to come another night
Because she is strength yet undefined
Hard and true and arrogant enough
To chase away all the blue Mondays
And crackerjack sideways I've ever knew