It should be noted that early on
While young, possibly seventeen
My self perception
Was, maybe, inflated
But that belief allowed
For a an unfounded confidence
To obtain some measure of success
But then
My retreat from the public world
To the private world of
One person and one house
Left me groping for meaning
Now my past successes and accomplishments
Lacked authority in an an environment
Unfamiliar to me
Where could I fit in and exercise
My skills as a micro manager
Ah, ha
The Leaves
The Leaves were seemingly endless
And with two oak trees I would be at least
Seasonable employed and with my understanding
Of Mother nature, surely I would excel
So to work I went
Exercise and duty, a perfect fit
Till a lady I know
Who, fancied herself as a connoisseur of all she surveyed
Barged into my alleged domain
To demonstrate how leaves should be collected
Attempting to right my damaged ego
My explanation of Mother nature and raking methods
Fell on deaf ears
But my ears heard quite well
“You are lackadaisical about leaves”
Could’ve hurt but unlike a real man
I had to laugh, and then laugh some more
She was so wrong, so very wrong on so many levels
But her word choice, “Lackadaisical”
After all my work and effort
Careful plotting on foiling Mother nature
And I, I was lackadaisical
Ah, still the gulf, the divide
Between man and woman
Husband and wife
To this day, the word lackadaisical,
Causes me to smile

FXC 12/24/14