First Air Of Autumn

First air of autumn up your nose

popcorn, heavy hairspray, nylon pantyhose

please stand and bow your heads and pray you don’t get old

The nurture and the admonition of your kind

the rules of only strong survive

Cross shaped swimming pools,

down in the blood and lifted up

forever seeking favor from the light

Schoolhouse hallway like a prairie highway sprawls

the drop off spins away the sun

The getting there just proves it’s nothing but a ball

Pray the horizon never comes

The hearts of the daughters of the men,

Won by the softness of the sons of women’s hands

To leave it up to love would leave it left to chance

Memory only shows the promise beauty broke

of beauty ageless in it’s time

Light attracts the same, you glance away and the glory fades

and being on your arm has lost it’s shine

School house hallway like a prairie highway sprawls

The drop off spins away the sun

Like eyes that once could cut through

candle power on autumn nights

First air of autumn leaves me numb