Pay no attention, I’m in my own head,
repeating carefully what you just said,
trying to imagine what it might sound like,
if those words came out of the mouth of a child, a bear,
or possibly a pea.
I might flip them around or change them about,
hoping that maybe a melody will come out.
Pay no attention if I’m suddenly in my own world,
I’m paying close attention to everything around,
trying to listen to every sound–
the whisper, the yell, the words both spoken and unsaid,
the movement of the light, colors in the sky,
whispers in the air floating by,
the sweet smells, the malodorous too,
the special unique scent of you.
You might say my name and think I don’t hear,
it’s because I’m traveling in a different year.
I’m tasting foods that don’t exist,
flying on a star and making a wish.
I’m directing a symphony in my head,
having a conversation
with someone who’s dead.
I’m a man or a woman, a child too
I’m an animal who’s just broken out of the zoo.
Pay no attention if I look like I’m not here,
Things are not always what they appear.
