unencumbered by how you're

supposed to be.

Suppose you smart. Hold fast

to save face. Must not sound-,

look-, act dumb.

Suppose you lace yourself, clean-

shaven. Combed face

to act braven.

Maybe this, your safe haven,

to act the maven, to avoid

the rave when you think

it sin to not cap every pen,

pen every win, win every grin.

But,

I wanna be free as you are free,

unencumbered by how you're

supposed to be.

You lean in, in seriousness,

to confide, "I am high." Then,

in mirth, you smile, feigning

to beguile. You share freely,

on-an'-on, free-streaming,

not caring, not planning,

not erring, but merrily,

merrily, merrily swearing,

double barreling:

you order a Sprite

aside your water

and I wonder

what is right

in spite of my own

longing not to fight

myself at every turn,

while you in turn

forgive the day,

you just as well

start acting gay

in the gaily name

of truly loving play.

This is

a new way

for me to be,

that I might forgive

my mind,

its need

to not

be blind,

to not

need

to see

my self:

not as I think, but

as I be.

Now in the comfort

of a you of you

who’s high,

I unwind my self

that feels the need

to hide.

I let go and join

in mutual dance,

the tango

of the moment

that is not thought

but prance.

Then it came,

this final silly act:

a mirror, a song,

a simple

boring act:

us leaving,

yet in glow

we are still

leavening:

rising higher,

my secondhand high.

We lose our s**t

in laughter and

through wheezing

we conspire

in the name of

loving life

to continue,

to inspire.

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