Circle of Life
       

Nobody loved Jim, but that
Was okay because Jim didn't
Love anybody, either. Jim
Was in a tricycle accident
When he was three. The
Tricycle flipped over again
And again, until its wheels
Melted in the July heat.
Luckily, Jim wasn't on
The tricycle at the time, but
Still, he was traumatized
To see his tiny vehicle go.
Jim's mother was a hag
Who called him names.
She called him names like,
"Sweetie-cakes" and "honey-
Bear." From early on, Jim
Couldn't believe her audacity
And vowed to move away.
And move away he did, far
Far away, so far away that
The sun never shined where
He went. When he was forty,
He came upon a species
Of rare insect, one that crawled
Toward him when he stood
Still. He was fascinated,
And played with the insect
Night and day until it
Withered away and died.
He missed the insect, and
It was then that he decided
To return to civilization.
But civilization would not
Have Jim. Still, he ran for
Office, wrote his own name
On the ballots. One feeble-
Minded person voted for him,
Besides Jim himself. So
He left again in search of
An even better insect, but
Never found one. When
He died, he went to the land
Of butterflies, ate leaves
And flew around. He met
A lady butterfly, and made
Wild, passionate, butterfly
Love to her, and they had
A family. When his daughter
Turned three, Jim got her
A tricycle, and she rode away
Unfettered into the summer night.

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Copyright © 2011 Noelle Kocot All rights reserved
from The Bigger World
Wave Books
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission