Much Adieu About Nothing

They bore in on me,

A procession of aspiring professionals with notebooks and backpacks,

An army of bloodthirsty freshmen led by generals of general education.

They bore in on me,

Crazed by the race for assimilation, haunted by their fear of disdain,

Replacing "what ifs" with "what if I don'ts," and leading with only their noses.

But you were the savior, the martyr, the one,

The reason I got out of bed.

You were the sunrise but now you're falling fast

And I fear now that the morning won't come.

I've been building you a bridge; it's coming apart at its seams.

In my sleep I've been burning the foundation and the bracing,

Unhinging the suspensions, and I find it fascinating

That my own worst enemy is me.

I never dreamt I'd have it all so clearly laid before me,

And I'd never think that if I did, I'd handle it all quite so poorly.

I guess I blew my chance again,

Just like last time, and the one before,

But you are still my rising sun,

You're still my New York City flower.

So when I leave this concrete jungle

I'll bid the whole damn place "adieu."

But you, you I won't e'er forget,

And I hope you won't forget me, too.

a.l. knox