captive to memory

"You remind me of home: the paint cracks when the water leaks
from the rusty pipes that are just beneath my feet
You remind me of home: the heater's warm but fills the room with a
potpourri of dust and gas fumes"
-Ben Gibbard


i haven't thought of you in years
a punk rock skater with a mohawk
two teens in college
we banned together against the world
against the seriousness that crept in on us
against the depth of reality
against the impending fade of childhood dreams


driving to work i saw you today
in a memory of happy rebellion
before responsibility crept into your world
before the mohawk went with the buffalo
before seriousness and melancholy took me captive
before the depth of reality broke me
back when childhood dreams were vivid as a fresh painting

you took me captive
for a moment, i smiled

then you flew off in a family sudan
speeding to work
against traffic