If a piece of wood were to come up to me
and say, “Hey there, how you doing?”
I’d like to think I’d take it in stride.

Thing is, as I’ve gotten older,
I’ve started doing defensive shit like saying,
“We know each other?”
so I might put the piece of wood off,
put it on its back peg,
as the expression sort of goes.

But maybe I’d be into the moment.
It’s a New York scene:
The long post approaches,
introduces itself,
asks about my welfare,
and I got nowhere to go,
so I lollygag on the street
shooting the shit with my neighbor.

But what if I wonder
he’s setting me up
for a takedown?
If he’s stiff in his approach,
maybe there’s a guy out back
trying to pick my pocket.
See, I didn’t even think of this at first
but now I’m getting suspicious of the post’s motives.
What if the whole introduction
is ’cause he’s up to no good?

Maybe it’s better I get where I’m going fast
and leave this lumbering timber alone.
.