Manic Panic

Anxiety becomes a red ball bouncing
Repeatedly around a padded cell
Pain ebbs and flows with each hit off the wall
And onto the next one before it even registers
Happiness flicks on and off with each turn of
the physical and metaphorical light switch
Electricity an impossibly strong current
That lasts until the latest bulb burns out
Changing the emotional light bulb
Takes practice and a lot of spare light bulbs
Also some fancy footwork to climb onto the wooden stool
A mountain of patience and a boatload of band-aids
Has more nicks than a plastic cutting board
Except with the blood Nile river flowing through
Smacking a dead end current with quick precision
Twice as much embarrassment to climb
Over the massive brick wall
Preventing any river crossings
Traveling against the current and the grain
Cut up the rocks and psychotic piranhas
Smiles wider than twisted pumpkins
Dementia pie running rampant
Unable to use pie server as it breaks in half
Pie falls apart under the flimsy weight of butter knife
Laughing at the thought of this desert mess
Turning this disaster into a food fight with guests
Finding a new carton of Ben & Jerry's to dive into
Once the guests disappear into the woodwork
And all that remains is the food fight mess
Mop and bucket please
Not right now, maybe tomorrow
Or until it pulls its very own vanishing act
Whichever comes first.