Next Time

so the next time i’m not paying attention

you don’t need to mention it to me

i know i’m not and it happens a lot

it is and just how it is…going to be

so the next time i don't nod

or forget and not simply say OK

don’t pout or gloat or jump down my throat

even if i reply with a simple “ay”

so the next time you think you’ve got it tough

you won’t even need a mile in my shoes

measure it by what you have to gain

not how much you could possibly lose

so the next time you feel like giving up

at your wits end and the nerves are all affray

remember that it’s just a passing phase

but if you want to play you have to pay

so the next time you think you have it sussed

and your scared outweighs your cheer

the hounds of doubt and derision are about

and are attracted to the smell of fear

so the next time you're milking your very own clever

and all your ducks are neatly in a row

just remember this is a transitional phase

because there’s so much you’ll never know

so the next time you think you may need to pause

and you get caught frozen cold, mid hesitation

redefine and unwind don’t get caught in any mind

simply pre-tune to a completely different station

so the next you find yourself grappling the intangible

just be a sequence of existential sub atomic reactions

we are no more than highly evolved bipedal jellyfish

that became enamored by our many distractions