Packing 4 College.
leave that barrel of baggage in the basement,
leave that dais of diffidence in your room;
leave that pack of purity under the bed—
&
don't come home anytime too soon.
leave parental sanction in the disposal,
leave that unorganized faith & trust unsaid;
leave that voided reality check unpaid—
&
don't come home secularly fed.
keep that significant other at distance,
keep self-skeletons taped on your closet door;
keep the strobe light aglow at deficiencies—
&
let the lava lamp spring up more.
take a little cockiness 4 the dorm room,
take along the stretcher 4 the tendencies;
take the piggy bank to stash all the changes—
&
don't come home 'til you're at your knees.
Mark Anthony Thomas
Copyright © 2004