When They Built The Schools - Fred Thomas

Winter is in a state of constancy

And meanwhile, all the old friends

Are just that

And I’m wondering- when they built the schools

Did they realize they placed them directly adjacent from the parks and the

woods?

And the structures enclosed?

The places kids could go and feel safe to be unknown?

A shelter for the stoners, the fumbling first-timers

The jelly legs and anxious elbows of the awkward lovers

With no time for the burden of nostalgia

Hands full with the ever unfolding hell happening

Because it’s always there in the lids of your eyes and at the corners of your

mouth

The museum-like qualities of your parents house

(with butterfly wings pinned to the walls)

But I was running past you when you were running past me

In these puppet days

In these puppet nights

In this puppet century

I was looking for you while you were looking through me

In those puppet days, in those puppet nights

In that puppet century

I was running past you while you were running past me

In these puppet days and these puppet nights

In this puppet century