retreat (2)

dark woods
heart of
southern
indiana
muntucky
and inter-
state travellers
in cabins of
all sorts in
the woods
and we're
in the lodge
in the smoking
allowed building
on the second floor
and the air is cold and
i don't venture forth -
so tired. very little
sleep and cut-off
from my online
life for 24+
hours -
ours
is a
life
of
misery.

one beer two beer
three beer four
i think i forgot i
don't drink no more.

relaxing, listening,
making them laugh
at my 30 (with them
20 years - at least -
my senior) ish ways
of seeing the world
from the left of the
political spectrum and
the right side of my
brain? or is it the
other way around.

one beer two beer
three beer five
i said i wouldn't
so i could stay alive.

eating dinner, someone
else on the O.C. (operating
committee) a pickier eater
than me if that is possible.
do they know they have a
poet in their midst, seeing
and beeing and now...

three beer four beer
five beer six
planning for money
out here in the sticks

the poet incognito,
not writing any words
in their presence or
trying to put on
too much of a
mask that i
don't remember
being a poet under-
neath it all.
be-
neath the
obvious
surface
rippling.

four beer five beer
six beer seven
sans the hangover
if i make it to heaven

working out my salvation
(in many senses) on my own
privately. the company seems...
the people seem... the team
members seem... unwieldly
hard to get a handle on
i continue on with it
trying my best for
His benefit.