I am the mismatched shoe
That always needs some extra glue
To see the right kind of clue
To paint the future wall with the fitting hue
For when the moment’s due
My friend
The glitch in the paradise
The faded square in the mosaic
The not so calculated
Entirely speculated
Reason unrelated
Unlucky roll of dice
That made me pay the price
And go around chasing mice
My bad
Your bad
Our adventure so rad
Brought us facing death
But we met a new lad
So in the end we’re still glad
Even though we got a bit mad
The revealed vision
Before near collision
Enhances the entire lore
Sets you back to a new revision
All the way to a new core
Thinking about eccentric rhymes
Stupefying times
Bold ways to score dimes
Through tricks never considered before
That give you a proper chore
You keep going
In spite of one too many
Going to rot away
The wrong play of cards
The dead-end road followed
The crooked step taken
The infamous dodgy sin
That estranged you from your kin
That threw you in the trash bin
That made you forget your pin
And even the shape of your own chin
Yet, you’re still the hidden jewel
Buried in the obscure treasure
Deep under forgotten sands
Of the isolated nameless shore
Where no entrusted crusader
Committed daredevil
Curious lonesome scavenger
Or real estate shark
Came about for any digging
You’re not yet just another
Another tile that fits the scene
Another bore at the comedy show
Another NPC to join the flow
Until we sink together so low
Down on the long bench
Below Mariana Trench
Yet again
You’re far from the bottom
The surface is still bright
You can still sip some orange juice
And let yourself a bit loose
With the shades on your eyes
And one or two decent ties
You ought to go
Just don’t be too late
When you see your mate
Waving from the lofty gate
Copyright © 2025 by Andy Vansen
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The story, all names, characters,
and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification
with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is
intended or should be inferred.
Illustrations by Andy Vansen