Meerkat painter, paint a picture That your brothers and your sisters will call home Meerkat morning, let out a warning That the birds of prey are preying here There is safety in numbers The days get cold we grow number, dumber Still where there’s a way a will will follow Follow on the day when you will swallow your fear And not disappear, you won’t disappear You will swallow your fear and not disappear Meerkat poet, just keep going You’ll find that perfect stanza in your pen Meerkat midnight, fight the good fight There is no victory underground Meerkat lover, don’t take cover The birds of prey will hover all day long So meerkat singer, don’t you meerkat linger You must come out and sing your song In our caves we lock like a safe We lock step and keep a consistent pace Trace emotion on each other’s faces, face it We’re wasting away Meerkat dancer, love’s the answer The rhythm will get faster over time Meerkat painter, paint me a picture So your brothers and your sisters So your brothers and your sisters will live on

Dear future Gaslighter, much esteemed It seems your estimation underestimated me so if you and your concubine could combine your assets We could throw an injunction on your injustice Because you got me pegged as the wrong kind of Rosewater I’m good to beggars but I’m not the farmer’s daughter So, watch your appendages or you might need some bandages You need man’s laughter for manslaughter Dear future Gaslighter, trash basket It must be awful convenient to be able to build your own casket All is on the table, we’re taking back the welcome mat We want our income back You got me pegged as the wrong kind of rosewater I’m good to beggars but I’m not the farmer’s daughter So, watch your appendages or you might need some bandages You need man’s laughter for manslaughter Dear future Gaslighter, so mature You don’t even know what a good thing’s worth You don’t know how to make it hurt But you sure as hell make stupid look like work And you got me pegged as the wrong kind of rosewater Well, you’re like a beggar but I’m not the farmer’s daughter So, watch your appendages or you might need some bandages And I don’t need laughter, just manslaughter Go on this way, I dare you to go on this way for the rest of your days May there be so many days like this

3.14159 I’m so glad, so glad you’re mine 2653589 You’re sweeter than, you’re sweeter than apple pie You and me make a 180 degrees, ’cause I’m obtuse and you’re an acute little thing A cute little thing I settle down on your Mobius strip There’s no end so I don’t quit ’til you tell me that’s it I don’t quit ‘til you tell me that’s it 2.71828 Our love grows at an exponential rate 1828459 Infinitely growing over time You and me are the natural log of e ’cause we are one, with interest we are less than three We are less than three I settle down between your max and your min There’s no end so I don’t quit ’til you tell me that’s it I don’t quit ‘til you tell me that’s it 1.61803 The divine ratio of you to me 398874 Proportional to our love forevermore You and me are golden in reality The numbers add up, our love is as tough as geometry As tough as geometry I settle down on your perfect pyramid There’s no end so I don’t quit ’til you tell me that’s it I don’t quit ‘til you tell me that’s it

I used to give up before the fight had begun Make a snide remark and turn my back and run ’cause I was afraid I was the only, lonely one Squinting but still staring at the sun I got all these pictures locked in folders, getting older every day Stuck in a cave with a boulder in the way If I were a soldier, I know that I would kill to get paid But now its colder and I don’t know if I should run or should I stay You used to give up before the fight had begun Make a snide remark and turn your back and run ’cause you were afraid you were the only, lonely one Squinting but still staring at the sun If you’re bored, you’re boring. All your glory stories need to fade with age Stuck in a play with a gory, horror ending on the stage If you were a warrior, you would kill to get laid But now its pouring and I don’t know if you will run or if you’ll stay You used to give up before the fight had begun I’d make a snide remark and turn my back and run ’cause we were afraid we were the only, lonely ones Squinting but still staring at the sun

I left a message on your answering machine I said my lyrics need some chords You showed up at my door with a guitar and An apple core in your hand You say you work better when you’re alone And could you have my room all to yourself Oh so casual… you toss your coat on… Top of my old guitar stand I say, “I’m going to get coffee ‘round the corner,” but instead I sit out on the steps Listen to you through the crack underneath the door Nursing my last cigarette But my lighter’s out so instead I use a match And for a moment I am Audrey Hepburn Cool, and detached Aloof, watching you from the outside Like I’m on a movie set My bedroom is the setting of this next scene I’ve never been much good at acting The camera zooms in tightly As you turn around and look right at me I got your message and I knew I had some chords So I showed up at your door Nervously I chomped on my apple slices I said it would be nice if I could have the room all to myself I felt uncomfortable in my coat So I try to drop it to the floor But, it fell on your guitar stand’s loop You say you’re going out for coffee But I can see you sitting out on the front stoop My music wafts out of the room It’s like cigarette smoke to you My notes get in your eyes and your smoke wraps around my neck And for a moment I am Gregory Peck Trying to perfect Trying to be your hero Like I’m on a movie set Your bedroom is the setting of our next scene It takes place while the sun is setting A tight shot of fingers gripping the strings Just to keep them from twitching So, I walk back in the room I say, “I’ve got to run” “Leaving so soon?” “Well, my work here is all done” I wish that you would say something more So, I shuffle toward the door And my shuffling becomes an awkward little dance I look deep into your eyes Now’s my only chance And I kissed you And you kissed me And you said “You smell exactly like I remember. Exactly like I remember. I remember I remember” My bedroom is the setting of our last scene Music plays while the credits are rolling The camera pans out to the sea All I can think is, wasn’t that Lovely.