That new genius on the radio,
the one you swoon over
once an hour when they play
their latest hit, that artist
you daydream about
when you should be studying,
whose tunes you hum softly
to rock yourself to sleep,
that’s so misunderstood
by society and among peers,
whose album title is destined
as your senior prom theme,
who’s always there for you,
one button away, as if
you’ve known each other
since forever, or a secret lover
you’ll never share with anyone,
knowing what each other
is always about to say,
their perfect lyrics waiting
for whatever sort of bad day
you’re having, those lines
written just for you. Only you.
Enjoy it while you can.
And don’t feel too rushed.
You have some time left.
You’ll be in your thirties
or forties, maybe even later,
what will feel like a lifetime
of loving them when the news
blindsides you on Facebook
one morning, and it hits
as if a family member’s gone:
taken by a mysterious accident
on a lone highway, by pain
killers no one knew about,
but that everyone knows about,
or choking on their own fame,
on all the rope given them.
Larry D. Thacker’s poetry can be found or is forthcoming in more than ninety publications including The Still Journal, Poetry South, Tower Poetry Society, Mad River Review, Spillway, The Southern Poetry Anthology, Mojave River Review, Mannequin Haus, Ghost City Press, Jazz Cigarette, and Appalachian Heritage. His books include Mountain Mysteries: The Mystic Traditions of Appalachia and the poetry books, Voice Hunting and Memory Train, as well as the forthcoming, Drifting in Awe. He’s presently working on his MFA in both poetry and fiction.
