they knocked him for his routine

                                   be it family friends strangers overhearing joined in

What a lousy routine.

                        or

You ought to break that like a bad habit.

he appreciated their unsolicited  concern

though he had a response a quip he liked quips werent a dime a dozen

                                                                          Your breathing Oughta knock tha off

routine

        wasnt a bad thingmade his bed every morningHell he even made his bed before going out to deliver his two paper routes

              did them for ten years through his freshman year of college

which at that time exceeded half his life

his routine was stone

he found that people broke themselves trying to break his determination they didnt care for his assertiveness his thoroughness

               like their agitation would make him quit

once he got his jaws on someones throat there was no shaking him

which he believed an admirable quality

his old man would say Ifya look up assertiveness in the fucking dictionary he rarely used fucking except to drive home a point you’ll find his picture in with the definition.   He gets it from his mother. 

he smiled he liked the thought of being in the dictionary

routine evidenced his singlemindedness

                                           even if others that had stood with him cowered or walkedaway he wouldnt

it wasnt courage

when ones right 

they had to be steadfast determined

                                         routine assisted

That’s not the hill to die on. family and friends cautioned  

to wit hed reply If not tha hill Which

                                        Every hill is a hill to die on

his rationale

              standing on top the heap ones difficult to defeat

Knock on wood hed rap his skull with his knuckles

So far So good

0829,  Reggaefriday,  15  12. 23

High Noon,  Reggaefriday,  15  12. 23

Sheena Easton  So Far So Good  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nMWmqjDxI4

thought occurred to himhes usually besetbesiegedbarraged with thoughts a regular fuckin wellspring

cats on the bed began shifting around when bomber a big marmalade male entered  hed become the harbinger of BREAKFAST Get your ass out of bed its time to eat

                                                         their abrupt stirring disturbed his sleep Rise and shine dimwit

Whoya callin a dimwit

Look who responded

                            it was a good argument

as the cats leapt down off the bed followed bomber down the hall rubbing sleep from his eyes he thought

                                                                                                                           Have you recognised that as firstborn  two years you were an only child  without a sibling

                                                                               then damn broke loose

eventually in yearly succession  he became the eldest of eight

                                                                   they didnt have television

Your brothers and sisters had a sibling siblings

Interesting

           not interestinghe disliked interesting  it was vague ambivalent noncommittal like the echo of the word growing fainter and fainter

Will you marry me?

   Interesting.

his thought was fortified as he made the bed that perhaps that was why he had no problems being alone a one-year old two-year old wasnt hangin out on streetcorners with buddies

                                                                  yet

his sibling cravedneeded companionship

they even stayed in lousy marriages

hed have to pass the thought around and see what a jury had to say

though first hed have to find firstborns to see if he was a one-off or if aloneness didnt affect them either

its a thought

an idea

he asked around at work office provided him access to thirtyone people a fair sampling

there were three firstborns but they were an only child  they couldnt stand being alone

the others had siblings

                        they couldnt stand being alone

he had his work cutout him

thought itd be easier

now hed have to make like a petition-taker outside a market

                                                                Excuse me excuse me (if he offered em a buck likelier theyd stop an answer three questions: were they firstborn did they have siblings do you need companions so youre not lonesome)

no takers

            Dammit

should have stopped at the bank for singles

   couldnt say he feltfreaking nanorarely   he couldnt say he felt lonely

he was thoroughly entertained      

0820,  Reggaefriday,  15  12. 23

1017,  Reggaefriday,  15  12. 23

The Big Bopper  Chantilly Lace  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGXFVOc5I8Q

Elvis Presley  Are You Lonesome Tonight  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XVdtX7uSnk