words

Yes you can. Can I kick it? Yes you can.”

My six-year-old sings A Tribe Called Quest

In the living room

He stands 3 feet from the TV

Playing Minecraft with resolute focus

I am in awe of his spirit

Yesterday we strolled the carnival

At first the ride scared him

The speed and increasing frequency 

Of the centrifugal force in his immediate experience

I calmly spoke to him

It’s just a ride

Daddy’s here

Everything is lovely

It’s just a ride

All rides come to an end

So too will this one

But for now

Enjoy the rotation

Look up at the sky while you spin

And then he loved it

Darkness came

The carnival lights moved through everything

Little waves cutting across the universe

In every direction

So bright, so vivid

You could almost hear their sound 

Feel the intensity of so many light emitting diodes and incandescent bulbs

The little warm center of my being

The trapped larval occupant

Absorbed all of it

Soaking in its energy

Growing against its chrysalis

Waiting to break free

To return to its origins

The eternal cycle

I smiled gently

Lost in the euphoric haze

And asked the cosmos 

Can I kick it?

It responded loudly, with ultimate certainty

Yes, you can

2023sm