Mark States

Filled Me with Glee

Shoulda been ‘handling my business’ after work

but required a few minutes down time to destress.

Then got caught up in some peppy

uptempo tunes by The Cars and the Rolling Stones

courtesy of an internet playlist

on a web site I’d rather not mention

since they keep putting me on time out

for having an ad blocker

so I shall avoid giving them free advertising in a poem

that I’m certain will reach a handful if not a dozen people,

and I’m trying to stay Mellow Fellow and not revert to

Grouch on the Couch, so ….

I reached for stack of paper representing my personal business –

but jerked my hand back as though I’d gotten

a little bit too close to the blue and yellow flame

on a gas stove burner.

Nope – why ruin the mood I’m in?

Better to use this opportunity to write a happy poem –

which the world needs more of, and lately

I hadn’t been providing.

This thought filled me with glee, which naturally,

lead me to the pantry for peanut butter and crackers

then to utensil drawer to select a knife

then to desk for notebook and pen, then to couch

where all these items were spread around on a blanket

intended to keep crumbs off the couch.

“A feast fit for a poet!” I thought to myself while

opening the wrapper.

With peanut butter clinging to roof of mouth and

package of crackers half-empty,

I noticed notebook was still unopened and pen remained capped.

Perhaps the lines in the notebook

are not so much filled with glee.

Even so, the heart and the stomach of the poet ARE.