Soulride

The night wore stirrups on each of its sides
so I mounted first one foot on the edge of a dawn,
the other on the edge of a dusk and
rode the way round Earth
watching the moon change faces and
belt out a chuckle that shook the stars as a
thunderstorm rumbled ‘neath my laughs and
passed into space --
a relief, I might add;
Now I could see over the solar system
swinging as if pivoted by an unseen
puppetmaster in a rhythm that
nearly lulled me to sleep;
A comet darted me awake and left to ascend
where there was nothing to ascend from or to,
depending from which planet or other
celestial body you’re viewing, or even in between;
Mine was Earth.

Tiring of night, I mounted day and saw the
havoc that races play;
It was a many-ringed circus without the applause --
wars to snap you awake if
you dulled with its confusions;
Hard to see through the smog which
direction humans are taking their games.
I peeked into a calm between day and
night where thoughts eased into dinnertimes,
minds buried into wherever minds go
while shoving the day behind to stack on forgotten
other days -- some unaware a day had passed,
doing their lives like a kicked can through
the gutters by a boy’s foot;

Having reached the 24th hour,
I dismounted to reach for the tip of a
spiral galaxy, tasting the trip like lemonade on a
hot Earth day and there saw life swings on
seeking secret dreams dipped in a sort of
chocolate forgotten, and most not seeing they
ever dreamed at all;
Delightful game, isn’t it.
I took me back to Earth to play human with
the other guys, knowing I rode above all
games this once and will again
while my human body sits beneath the
stars in the middle of a night where
the stirrups hang loose awaiting another rider.