i daydream in technicolor

"I don't want you to tell me what to do
And I don't want them to call it technicolor
when it's only shades of red that's filling up your head"
-Awol One & Daddy Kev, "Agony

for miss bessie

one morning not long ago
i arose to the sound of beeeeeeeeeep
beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
but this was not your average alarm clock
it was a garbage truck
traveling in reverse down my 1-way street
its incessant beeping
lured me from out of my midnight coma
into a crisp, cold post-dawn sky full of hushed pink hues
so i peered through the blinds as I slid on my house shoes
and saw a black leprechaun perched atop the hood of my ride
(deep breath) i sighed
unable and unwilling to undergo his torment to my pride
so this time i phoned a friend
and in no less than 5 minutes
i had him surrounded by my gang of gentlemanly goons
who were soon to graduate into goblins
and then - at that very moment
he said, WAIT!

i have have something to tell you
for the past 6 weeks
i have sat on the hood of your car
at precisely the same time every morning
that the trash folk choose to slide through
yet you consistently wave your hand
as though it were a wand
and tell me to shoo
yet you never asked was it is that i can do

so apparently
i hadn't fully flushed all the crust from the corners of my eyes
because before me was in fact a pitch black cat
with piercing eyes like my moms
and an elongated tail that twirled from front to back
with the flair of an acrobat

i am the mythical creature who lurks in the shadows of your nightmares

i am the sorcerer who blows cold air down your spine to provide the chill when you are scared

the overseer who prevails during your misfortune
the corner boy who supports your self-torture

no you see, i have this problem in both the present and past tense
i am not and never have been a fan of the absence of common sense
so why would you ask me a question to which you already had an answer
rhetorically speaking, your mere existence is a cancer

yet, i'll forgive your snubs
cuz grandama told me it ain't healthy to hold no grudge
but who am i to judge
plus, i do thank you for giving my morning a nudge

my dear friend, surely you must realize i was not done
i am the celestial spirit of both the father and the son
the rich blue providing background noise for the clouds
the focal point you direct your energy when life's noise gets a bit too loud

i daydream in technicolor
seeing only what you cannot
although you may be a bit taller
i see the end results when you've only just begun to plot

no magic 8-balls need to be shaken in my helm
i coach from afar and let you master your realm
i am the warm breeze on the road to prime time
i count the bass' grooves as you kick snares on the drum line

you see my dear friend, it's never about being a distraction
my goal in life is for you to recognize the importance of your interactions
so let's just keep this between you and i, you hear
when things get shaky just humble yourself and confide in me your fears

call your folks more often and let the ones you love hear you say it live
and trust that your faith in the power of hope will keep blessings at your side
i am the comforter offering warmth to you mind
just as long as your color within the dotted lines

amen