Mind over Mud

Lilting and lovely the music poured forth
From the instruments, from the mouths of the performers
And standing there, beneath a starless sky
I created my own Oasis and drank up the gush of sound

The notes whispered promises in my ears
They curled around my body to remind me of things I once had understood
And with their caress still fresh upon my face
I tilted back my head to embrace the temptation of letting go

I thought back to the nights that
Like the fireworks that exploded with their red, white, and blue
We quenched our thirst with rocket popsicles
And licked the melted remains from our sticky fingers

So I danced on and wrapped my arms around myself
And cast away for another set of summer nights
And sought to forget how the camp fire had reflected in your eyes
And how the smell of smoke had lingered on my sweater for weeks

Little children curled up in their parents arms
And dreamt of things deemed impossible by Reason and Experience
While their parents sat around in circles
Talking of “once weres” and “long agos”

Lilting and lovely the music poured forth
While bare feet pounded flat the dark earth
And the sky threatened to open up upon the crowd
And there in my Oasis, I tried to erase you