The Future Man I Wish Not To Be

"The Future Man I Wish Not to Be"

The future man I wish not to be

Has carved real estate in my present sanity

He has long retired his jackets of denim and leather

And wears low thread count suits (regardless of weather).

Charisma gone to nought he lives uninspired

With a stuffed wallet of fast food coupons long gone expired

Gone are the days when he commanded the stages

And the various affairs with women of varying ages.

And the lines 'round his brow jest as if to say:

Mom said to quit smoking, you should have obeyed.

But he bows to his coffee and the breath of nicotine

Another swirl in a screw

In a cog

In a rod

Of a spoke

In a wheel

In a chamber of wheels

In a chamber

Of chambers...

But he enters the workplace, lowers his head with a nod

Collects his directions, his first words: Yes, boss.

And when the data's collected and the numbers are crunched

He sits down in the cafe for his tuna fish lunch

Observing the girls kiss cheeks, lower their coffees and say "Ciao!"

He thinks, "She looked like her, too. Wonder where she is now."

Then it's back up the stairs to finish his work

Boss says: Tomorrow, bright and early.

His second words: Yes, sir.

And he lurches to get to his cluttered studio

Five floors up and seven more to go

And looking out the dusty and caged hall window

Thinks how inviting the pavement looks down below.

He unlocks the door, the magazines litter the floor

With the torn lottery tickets he bought at the store

Next to the refrigerator, his tiny mattress stretches for miles

And he lays down at six thirty and closes his eyes.

But now me in my present, I shake off the thought

And rehearse my lyrics on the train that I've caught

Because I've a show downtown and I'll see you in the crowd

And when done, rush to you like the smog to the clouds.

And we'll hug and we'll kiss and try to hold on to the night

And I'll whisper,

"Thanks for coming, darling. Now please pass me a light."