he was beside himself

                        he looked over and saw himself slouchinghis spine elastic

he could take it now grimly

now was private

when he went out hed play the part that was his lifting others up plying them boisterously with words and broad smiles

thats why many of them came to his shop

because he could pull them up out of their maladies pull them up out of their quiet storm their quiet desperation

Who said that

               he knew that

he did

Thoreau 

           Yes

The mass of men . . and women . . lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.

he encouraged everyone to sing

                                  even if he had to shove happy words in their mouths happy ridiculous ideas in their heads  then demanded that when they returned they remind him of the assignment he gave them and what they did with it

he apologised if he couldnt remember I send a lot of people outa here with simple chores

and when they returned they reminded him  hed remember  he had a mind built for minutiaefor trivia  particularly when he was its impetus  AHyes  I do remember

it was satisfying when they played with him

adults forget that they ought to play

                                      every other Christmas or so he gave gifts of crayons and colouring books Jacks Pick-up sticks Tiddlywinks a wink is as good as a nod . . . to a blind horse to his siblings  Christ why are youse such sticks in the mud 

one Christmas he bought his sisters and sister-in-laws vibrators Ben Wa Balls  to his brothers and brother-in-laws he gave prescriptionsYES prescriptions  to Penthouse  he wanted something edgy

edgy

edgy

so akin to that was the gambitcourse he ran on his unsuspecting customers

he gave them something to think about outside the ordinary  and they took to it like bees to honey pigs to slop voyeurs to quiet stealth

that was his gift

and frankly when things for him personally got tough  he lost himselfgave himself a reprieve 

                                                                                                   thenmaybe those experiences interactions might bolster him might stiffen his spine remind him Life isnt fair No one said it would be A day at a time Life is for the Living 

Be a light

           though be aware no matter how bright shadows are always cast  and look into them  extend a kind faithful hand to others  to yourself

sometimes he forgot himself

    

1241,  Reggae Friday,  16  8. 19

Faces  That’s All You Need  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Swas_7y8ws