Survival

I laugh with you, not at you

we are all crossing paths on the same path

with little side streets

that lure us this way and that and as wise as I am or have become or aspire to be

i too delude easily

slipping down alleys

like a naughty schoolboy

cuttin' class

on paper

some ideas seem simple,

pragmatic even

but to live them


Ah!

that is where complexities begin and end

i am earnest when i speak of happiness and passion as

my essentials

what i carry in my purse

instead of expensive lip balm

i am and will remain a rare bird


never at a loss for words but often at odds with

others' expectations of and designs on me

survival happens with a well-laid plan that appears askew


on my road, i study each stone and walk as cautious as

a pigeon

to deepen levels of acceptance


this is what has happened and i have decided that survival is about

moving forward at a pace that allows me to laugh

and when i laugh, i laugh with you not at you

with 

not at 

do you understand?