ANTERIOR REALITIES (Poetry)

Once I thought to take a trip To the farthest reaches of my mind Setting sail on a sea of reds and blues I eddied off to see what I would find

In order to fulfill my pipedream I huffed a couple more tokes I tried to pop the childproof cap from the pharmacy containing the hoax

I stepped foot over the gunwale Of the boat of reality Testing the swirling depths Of an ocean of veniality

I turned a Styrofoam octagonal corner Round it discovered a little twist My personal road to enlightenment Was just a meandering path in the mist

Another lungful of altered perception Just a few more little pills There I was in Never Land Prepared to seek my thrills

It would not bother me to discover Chrysanthemum elephants on the vine I would be perfectly happy to hitch a ride On a wagon train sailing up the line

But in my deliciously lavender anterior space I didn't find anything quite so mundane Instead a sentient, whirling, riotous chaos Wankled along each bustling empty lane

The transparent ten foot rabbit Hopping on his cloven hoof Shot from a gossamer rubber band Disappeared thru a hole in a roof

A chipmunk three inches long Covered with a leopards darkling spots Pranced by in her purple tutu Singing Hungarian and eating tater tots

I espied a large cracked egg Sitting upon his wall He rolled down in front of me Most certainly he did not fall

Removing a hinged portion of his shell Egg harnessed me to his yolk I plowed a field of oats and fish As he admonished me to get the joke

Throwing off the yolk of my oppression I bolted through a field of clover There the poppies put me to sleep Until awakened by a sedentary drover

His suit was of blue rice Glued upon a cotton quirt Upon his collar was a flower With a bulb to make it squirt

He lifted my head to his bulb And said “Now take a drink” It gave me a jolt of energy But tasted like musty mink

I thanked him for the refreshment And wondered what it was He said “Don’t you worry none” “I skimmed off all the fuzz”

He asked about my daily world We discussed the meaning of life Is the basic human condition Always to be full of strife?

What if we took all the guns And dropped them in the ocean? Would that possibly lower crime? Is that a feasible notion?

If the fat cats on their hills Had concern for their fellow man Perhaps the milk and honey Would cover once more our land

What about the many religions So prolific in our cultures? Are they all just feeding on us Like dark and hungry vultures?

Maybe if we followed the dictates Of those religions we profess Instead of hate we'd espouse our love And have no sins to confess

Rather than sow the seeds of dissension Perhaps instead plant a kiss Then from the crops we treasure Harvest a love that’s not remiss

He asked me if I truly thought Human nature could be redeemed Can love and peace ring the world With the race of man all teamed?

Piercing his transparent forehead I searched throughout his mind He didn't know the answers we sought But taught me in seeking to find

I gazed at the hills in the sky Peaceful clouds upon the land Suddenly from a suspended rock Jumped a quarteted feline band

With a discordant bang of cymbals They sprang upon my friend Tongues coated with amphetamines His hair they began to tend

Tails dipped in aftershave Beard they coaxed to flat Claws distended in his hair Skull bumps they pushed and pat

Drover gave a little screech Then turned the other cheek “Preen upon my frame” he said “Should it bring the peace you seek”

An orange green hound dashed up A rifle inside his pouch “This is the final answer” he said “For all mankind I vouch”

Tousling a floppy green ear I took the rifle out He nuzzled at my gunhand Growling at cats with a pout

I hefted the gun and held it It's weight real in my hand Is death the only thing solid In this imaginary land?

Striking a point towards the cats Preening upon my friend Hound said “Drover only hurts himself” “So shoot and it will end”

When no answer was forthcoming Hound fixed me with an orange glare I spread my hands and dropped the gun Peace between us it's only fair

Fido stood and licked his paws Patting his wrinkled tux Picked up the shiny new rifle And said "This here really sucks"

Lifting the bright steel barrel He rammed it into my soul I sat bolt upright and found myself Lying naked at the edge of the knoll

I glanced over the rock strewn top Shivering at such a near miss Below me waved fields of wheat But narry a single planted kiss

I thought about the egg Chipmunk, cats and dog Lonely philosopher drover Wandering in the fog

A quartet of musical felines Happy a man to groom Hound by his master taught Only to send them to a tomb

Shaking my head I rose From my spot upon the slant Wrapped only in my dignity I headed home a kiss to plant

My first kiss I planted upon a neighbor Gazing in shock at my unclothed state She slapped me for my familiarity I assume we’ll not have a date

While waiting for police to arrive I poured a good stiff drink Heading to the bathroom I dumped the pharmacy down the sink