What’s So Weird
On the day you were born
the Electric Prunes sang
I’ve had too much to dream
on the television
and there was an ice storm
during an ice storm,
when it ended the trees
creaked but no one
understood they were warning
each other that soon
the power would change
hands and the elves
would be subservient
to the other elves who
were slightly bigger but
less perceptive so gradually
they would cede all their
tree holes to common animals
and have to go live
in another dimension
whence they could only send
us messages through
scraps of paper
at our feet we don’t notice
as we walk to the bar
to meet friends
to celebrate another year
has left us more or less
ourselves, scathed yes
but still here drinking
the ancient elixir
of agreeing with the ones
who rule all the elements
we know plus some others
the elves depend on to make
their tiny little weapons
that kill wood demons
but now it’s just traditional
because they don’t live in trees
and the wood demons
are scared and hiding
and the real demons
are the ones we can see
and the elves keep trying
to tell us something
but we listen to something
else that tells us poison
only comes in little bottles
with skulls on them.