Bills or Bicycles

A friend said everyone has to grow up.

He said it like a man who had been

molded by someone else’s hammer.

It heated me and made me malleable

like burning kittens or drowning puppies.

It is hard to grow up, friend.

So what

if we die too young.

Lets make paper airplanes

with scraps of paper sent

by the bill collectors.

Lets ride a bike around the lake

with a little ginger ale in our bellies

and a plumped up grin

to meet the noise of the old people

doing the boring and necessary things

to keep their lines and moles in order

Lets walk on the beach and kick the waves.

Lets pick up rocks and suck on them.

Lets climb the mountains and jump off

giggling fear into the abyss