How to be an adult

put your toys away

all the way away

use capitalization

write lists

go to bed at a decent hour, say 10 pm

wake up at a decent hour, say, 5 am

sleep for 8 hours a night

eat oatmeal

develop a taste for wine

spend money

become a productive member of society

figure out the meaning of productive

figure out the meaning of society

figure out the meaning of member (excludes genitals)

develop debt

subscribe to a newspaper

read about the stock market in the newspaper

pretend to know why the stock market is crashing

get a job

get a better job

die a little inside

get a job that is good enough

purchase home décor for your apartment

stop living in apartments

take out a mortgage

buy a home in the suburbs

get to know your neighbors

don’t burn down your neighbor’s houses

develop a taste for cheap wines

try cocaine once

for several months

commit to a relationship

let the love wane

bask in the memory the heat

marry

have children

don’t murder them, raise them

drink more wine

hide your drinking

play catch

teach your children how to be productive members of society

teach your children how to die a little inside

watch the stock market

watch your 401k shrivel

drink more wine

get more fired from your job

take out a second mortgage

sneak out to bars

get to know the bartenders and other middle-aged patrons

say I love you to your spouse

say please to your spouse

say I’m sorry to your spouse

find an apartment

don’t leave your apartment

pick up your clothes off of the lawn

realize they will refer to you as a “man” in the newspaper

cancel newspaper subscription

buy a car

drive it really fast on narrow roads with tight turns

get really close to the edge

call your ex-wife at odd hours

long for your youth

stop talking to your children

forget their birthdays

grow gray hair

whittle away emotions

this is

take up skydiving

put your toys away

all the way away

Use capitalization

write lists

ritual

forget things

play catch

teach your children how to be

teach your children how

the stock market

drink more wine

your job

take out

I love you

get to know

your spouse

find a magic

find a constellation in

a stranger

let them tell you they

are your children

get really close to the edge

your ex-wife at odd hours

long for your youth

your children

their birthdays

grow gray hair

whittle away emotions

take up your toys away

all the way away

Use capitalization

write lists

forget things.

#poem #NaPoWriMo #poetry