the descent of Man

working on my health
spending the summer undercover
i'm avoiding a tongue-in-cheek lover
dealing in cheap money
i entertain thoughts of a Los Cabos honey
while waiting for the total solar eclipse
and religiously following the nightly news
i ultimately choose
to see her slow motion hips
her beautiful face flashing behind her tantalizing lips
her whisper like the horny beak of a bird
and i try to understand each flying word
but there are times when the day simply washes away
and she has nothing rational to say
i look at all the empty cigarette packs
to remember what my life lacks
and every visit to the grocery store
gives me a reason to shop for more
before
leaving for a long affair
and i wonder when i'll ever get there
i look at my old hands and all i see are bones
i fill my pockets with memories and feathers and stones
i am told over tea not to be too mean
but have already decided to leave the social scene
ten minutes is all i need
to answer her letters and start to bleed
and i take off my shoe
knowing nobody knows what i'm up to
the evenings come to visit with a Sports Illustrated magazine
but i'm already reading on my back deck and stay unseen
in search of further guidance
i swallow some Don Juan peyote and go into a trance
there's always a full moon somewhere in the distance!
and i see steady light inside my studio
so that's where i should go
to watch a film about the descent of Man
but i don't think i can.