elf warrior emerging

baton rouge, LA
may 09

walked around the garden district
in the median
under old live oaks sprawling shade
grey may day
i picked up a stick and swung it
got increasingly karatefied as i went
forgetting the neighbors
lost in a vague elf-warrior fantasy

it's amazing what proper Adults pretend not to see
teenagers absolutely ran from me
too much uncool to even gaze upon
might get turned to nerd medusa-style
28 year old jabbing and cartwheeling
down the city median
dangerous

oh but the 10 year olds understand me perfectly
they see the peace warrior, the ninja, the adult they dream of being
almost impossible: up in the trees, barking back at dogs
avoiding piles of dogshit with extravagantly agile albeit unnecessary leaps
swinging my staff so it airwhips
got my mind on my mission and my mission on my mind

peace warrioring--
pickin up trash and smiling conspiratorially
playing panpipes from the top of a magnolia
leaving flowers i made outta metal in mailboxes and plantboxes
leaving good books on ratty doorsteps
giving directions
singing

next time, i'm goin ahead and wearing my cape