We ride the tide and in the end it is the endings.
The last time you wore that stinky, puffy diaper
The last time you used your widdle potty.
The last time your mommy washed your body
With a determined look on her scrunchy face.
The last time you bounced in her superhero arms,
Up and down, your laughing sound brought endless joy
A warm, cocoony embrace.
The last time you played with Mr. Truck,
It stuck in a rug thick like mud without the mess.
The last time you believed girl’s had cooties
And began wonder what was under that Catholic dress.
The last time you saw Sister Christines’ ankles
And thought you were really really bad.
The last time Annie’s dress blew up and you were really really glad!
The last time you said “HI CHUCK!” to your funny buddy Dan,
The last time you said goodbye to him,
Sent to die for Uncle Sam.
The last time you said “I Do” to the love that lit your darkest night
The last time you cried the night she died
And you saw her spirit behind the quiet mask.
The last time you got promoted,
It felt wonderful at the time.
But the workload became so wretched
It felt like an unsolved crime.
The last time Grace with the angelic face
Gave you a slap upon your ass.
No watch for you, that tradition was through
Before you knew it was ever one at all.
The last time you read a book of paper
Until your eyes blurred out “NO MORE.”
The last time you read a book of metal
Coated with a sheen of glass.
The last time you fell, it felt like Hell
But what came after was even worse.
The last time you went outside alone
And breathed the forest air,
Had a sky of stars not cobwebs and chipping paint.
And looking up didn’t make you faint.
The last time you breathed the dusty air
Where you would breathe your last
And not know where.