I never had to face
the box tattooed on my arm,
and I know one too many
who did while people kept dancing.
But giving myself a try
means finding a ground floor
tattoo parlour, means flying
to my own Neverlands,
means words spilling from a fountain pen
instead of a keyboard.
And enlightenment was never
a one-off, but a lifetime
fraught between disdain and delight.
To give myself a try
means burning the bible
and spending a lifetime gluing ashes.

You know, for the amount that you’re paid,
you’re not very good at this.

© Blake Leitch February 25, 2019