for a sudden insight
i want to thank the asshat
who spaced out at the intersection
until i flashed my high beams
–saw it twinkle
–like a lightning bolt
–out of zeus’ clenched fist
–in his rearview
and he decided it was okay
to turn right onto the
empty street
and then i had to follow him for
two miles
–not stalking
–we were both headed for the freeway
he signaled
to get on the northbound
and then changed his mind
long past the p.o.n.r.
and swerved back into traffic
so i could follow him
onto the southbound
and my god
i realized that the only
way hell
would work is if you had no
idea you were there
because if you knew that shit
was going to just keep going on
for fucking literally ever
you would just refuse to cooperate
and curl up into a ball
and sisyphus could roll you
up the damn hill because why not
but what would the point of that be
as either a deterrent
or a punishment
if you didn’t even know you were
being punished
you wouldn’t even develop
stockholm syndrome and that would
mean god is just a dick
and how can we tell
that’s not what we’ve got
on our hands here anyway
Words and Feathers 
I had to look up asshat. That’s how dedicated I am to your poetry. Very decent of you to take the civil language route. That alone could keep you out of hell…. provided god isn’t a dick. Myself, if language is an issue, I’m screwed.
Ha ha ha. That made me laugh in the real world. Thanks for that! And you know my admiration for your work is reciprocal. 😀
we moved recently to a retirement community, and what you have described in this poem is my reality. the problem is, if i keep at it long enough, i will become the “asshat.” i enjoy here the attitude, humor, and details that make it work for me.
Thank you very much. I can’t say in all honesty that I have never been that guy, but that moment I was the other guy.
“the only/way hell/would work…” “and sisyphus could roll you/up the damn hill because why not”
oh my goodness, wonderful
Thank you!