14. Smile

Across from me,
lips part,
curve upwards at the corners
cheeks are pushed back
lines and tiny dents appear
teeth show the slightest bit
and
a little twinkle appears in the eyes--

Quite
suddenly

I feel warm and fuzzy.

13. Misfortune

There’s really no such thing

you know.

Perhaps if there was such a thing
as fortune
then we could say
that when it is thwarted,
mis-
fortune
comes about.
but what would fortune be?
just what seems good to us?

that’s a bit sad,
if you think about it.

we judge events
based on what seems
beneficial
to us, or what seems
detrimental--
and we call it fortune
and misfortune.

what if misfortune
turns out to be good after all?
then it was fortune all along,
right?

you see,
I’d rather not think that way.
Not to see everything
in the light of what it does for me
Not to take all that comes
as mere chance
that I must follow as best I can
or struggle against with all my might--
I prefer to know that
My Father runs the world,
is completely in control of everything
and always has been,
and since He loves me and makes
all things for my good
(what wonder that He should!)
no matter how it seems to me at the time,

then all is fortune to me,
because all is good for me.

So, mis-
fortune?
There’s really no such thing,
you know.

12. Insanity

When I move, I fly. I think it’s easier than walking
Electrons tell me stories ‘cause I listen when they’re talking
I like building monasteries--look, the ghosts are coming!
Everywhere I go, it seems the ground is always humming
I think it’s just the Under-People hacking to the top-ground
But I don’t really care ‘cause that’s a less important sound
Than the telepathic aliens who tell me what to do
They’re nice and never fail to show me how to find a clue
And though they think my eyes should be a little bit more red
I can’t decide between them, or the Monkey, when I’m dead
I think that turkeys hate me and that’s why they are so ugly
They always eat my tongue and then they stalk off oh-so-smugly

I bet you think I’m weird just ‘cause I’m special, can’t you see
It irks me when you call this gift of mine insanity.

11. Memory

Looking through a photo-book
And finding ages past
Those times seemed not so long ago--
I guess they flew real fast.
My face is longer (so’s my hair)
And now I’m kind of tall
And now I find it weird to think
That I was e’er that small.