It’s My Birthday!

And I deserve your presence

When you bid me Hello don’t stare into the distance that faraway look of somewhere else I’d rather be

When you arrive at my doorstep let not your exhaustion tell me you would rather be asleep a dream of oblivion beckoning your attention for one more second

When you call with well wishes I‘d rather not hear all of your problems everything that troubles you that keeps you away maybe next year

Or the stories you tell yourself of life without fruition because you were too distracted to give your dreams meaning that spoke to me

Don’t give me your perfunctories the meaningless how are yous leading only to your own important illusions of grandness before you finally get to me

I don’t want excuses You were late and who really cares?

Get over your apologies for going missing in action when you could have burned down the house without noticing I was here

Come back to the now the moment that you dare to be vulnerable fully here unrepentantly loving all there is

That is when I will greet you as you smile with excitement knowing you made it because I’m here in your presence while we celebrate my entering my eighth decade