Beware of the Hypnotist

I’m not usually a prude,

Although I’m rather quiet and shy,

What happened one night when out with friends,

Made me seem like a different guy,

I went up on stage with others of my group,

“Take a deep breath,” I heard someone say,

“Relax and enjoy what your mind lets you do,

Each of you will have fun today!”

I’m not sure how long I stayed,

But my mind was completely at ease,

One of my friends asked if I’d dance again,

“That was an awesome striptease,”

“That’s ridiculous,” I angrily said to her,

She grinned, “Oh, you don’t realize you were a hit,

But I know what I saw, and I saw enough,

I’ve got pictures on the cam to prove it,”

Those cam pictures looked a lot like me,

I was dancing amidst the raucous din,

Evidently I was having the time of my life,

But how could I show so much skin?

The hypnotist snapped her fingers,

I got dressed with pomp and style,

I fell back into a total trance,

Except for my great big smile,

If you should go downtown for fun,

And there’s a late, late, show,

Be prepared to divulge your secrets,

That only you should know….

Run Where The Flowers Grow

I couldn’t believe my eyes,

Dad had brought home a surprise,

A black and white cocker spaniel,

Just a puppy, but she meant the world to me,

She was happy, playful, and made me smile,

Lady came when I called her, eager to please,

We were two friends, always at ease,

The two of us discovered the world anew,

Bonded by our hearts, our friendship grew,

Sniffing flowers, chasing birds,

I read stories and she listened to every word,

When she was two she followed me down,

 The dirt roads to the grocery store in our town,

We encountered few cars that hot summer day,

 Crossing the two lane county road on our way,

Before I got groceries the owner and I had a debate,

 But he said, “No dogs allowed. She’ll have to wait,”

When I looked for her, she had crossed the street,

Busily sniffing flowers, or looking for bugs to eat,

My first thought was, “She shouldn’t be over there.”

 Without thinking, I whistled, loud and clear,

The shrill sound hanging expectantly in the air,

It was then that I saw a speeding car,

And realized that it wasn’t very far,

At the same time I saw Lady raise her head,

And obediently towards me she sped,

Smiling with every stride,

“Stop, Lady, stop!” I wish I’d cried,

But I was frozen, watching this nightmarish scene,

The car and Lady, the gap closing in between,

There was a loud “Whump!”

Time stopped and I had no need for air,

The car had hit Lady and the driver seemed unaware,

He slowed, then sped up, I knew he didn’t care,

I ran to her and dropped to my knees,

 “Lady, get up! I’m sorry, please,”

But I held a lifeless form tight,

Wishing with all my might,

That this was just a bad dream in the night,

I walked home in a trance,

Angry at myself for what I had done,

“Why did I whistle without a glance?

Why had I done this to my friend?”

Blaming myself over and over again,

 Tears streaming down my face,

Somehow managing to carry her to our place,

Where Mom took the groceries,

Telling me to hold Lady for a few minutes more,

Until I collapsed spiritless on the floor,

The next day a private ceremony with a prayer,

Only family was invited there,

My heart pounded and my head hurt,

And with each shovelful of dirt,

I thought I could hear a whistle blow,

Before I left, I leaned down and whispered softly,

“Run, Lady, run, where the flowers grow.”