There are no strings attached
to my guitar anymore,
I’ve lost the bowl
I used to puke in;
I cannot find the settings
on my computer
that allow me
to watch what I want to;
and I had to close
the front door
so someone
wouldn’t hear me
and my frustrated
rantings.

But it is springtime
and there are things
to plant, an anticipation
of fertility,
this year will be different,
I’ll thwart them damned deer,
and take the little caterpillars
and instead of squishing them
I will create clever
caterpillar colonies
for display
in primary schools;

my car is running great
thanks to two incredible boys
who live down the one-lane road and have a garage
overseen by their dad;
there isn’t any money
in the bank
but my secret sock
is full;

and I am convinced
that one of my
grandchildren
will help me find
the way out
of the morass
that surrounds me;
they don’t watch
the news, they’re too busy
finding out who they are,
and learning to work
the world we live in;

My grandchildren,
survivors!

Grandpa Larry’s
Helpful Hotline. Hashtag #100. April 2018.