"Down And Up"

I've been 'down and out'
'moneyed and up,'  sort of
'down and weird'
and 'weirdly up'

Today, I was 'down and up'
which is in some ways worse
than up and up
except that's oft dishonest
pretentious or corrupt

I walked past a white statue Buddha
surrounded by daffodils
the same one a few times,
but I did that all before
with living monks in rural Thailand,
where I also "down and up"

I spent some time in Sweden   Harnosand
I tell ya         a mad wondrous land
where there were bright green hills
and libraries, and cold winds
That was "down and up"
when it wasn't up and out
or down and out

Let me tell you about
the abandoned rail-road tracks
where I walk downtown and back,
and was making my way through
dark blackberry forests
passing hobos, dogs, and yuppies

Passing by houses and yards
of various sorts
which are interesting
except I try to never look too long:
in case someone's looking out their window
or lounging in their yard,
as I don't want to have a moment
of fear, communion, or understanding

because I'm seeking something
and not stepping on the shards of glass
that strew the fading rails,
which are like Buddhas
with their own muse and tales
stained with gasoline and hobohemian journeys...
but to me that's all like white buddhas
or birds of strange, melodic song
LSD or mushrooms
or books about poetry or evolution

All very cool when they're new
or if for you they're true:
but me I'm just walking
on the rail-road tracks
getting home without getting hurt

having ideas
writing a poem
down and up