Trading Vices
An inherited tendency that rendered him pugnacious
was a quality that caused his friends to label him audacious,
but luckily this acting out, though maddening, was fugacious,
because they’d found his surly mood was frequently contagious.
In between his pouty moods, he had a great ambition
to write great works and stun the world with his erudition.
He’d be a star. The Pulitzer would be his life’s great crowning.
Sadly, his words rarely occasioned moods other than frowning.
In the end he turned to a lifestyle less vivacious
than the pen. Alas, he chose a comfort more herbaceous.
His solace was that healing weed that smoothed out disappointments
and made action barely possible—let alone appointments.
He stopped visiting taverns to hang out with his mates.
Did not return their phone calls and cancelled dinner dates.
His doors, once open, stayed sealed tight with vapors only seeping
under their cracks to hint at the company he was keeping.
He ceased to be pugnacious, erudite or anything.
Dust blanketed computer keys. He heard his cellphone ring
as friends all tried to reach him but I fear it was in vain.
They tried a dozen times before not calling him again.
Sometimes, cures are worse than the thing that they are curing.
To have their crusty friend back would make bad moods worth enduring,
but, alas, it was too late. In life it is allowed
to make our own decisions. Thus, he vanished in a cloud.
The prompt words today are fugacious (good grief!) open, star, ambition and write.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Excellent.
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We were watching a show last night where the girlfriend of the “hero” (more an anti-hero) has gone off to the far east to cover the terrorism in progress. She’s been gone for months, but when she decides life is getting difficult and she wants to talk to him — and he has company — she is furious with him. Why do people think they can disappear or constantly criticize someone — but if they decide to find someone else or just stop dealing with the endless “critiques” they are shocked? You stalk out of a relationship — or make the relationship so unpleasant that it stops being any fun — and then are surprised when it isn’t there for you anymore? I have never understood it.
Life moves on. If you aren’t part of the flow, then you get left on the bank.
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So obvious as more and more friends leave us behind. I lost another close friend yesterday. That makes 3 in the past month. You have to keep changing to keep up with how your world changes. xo
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A sad tale but you used quite an extensive vocabulary in the telling!
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You of course were most impressed with fugacious!! (But the devil made me do it.)
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This is so clever. It really has got me thinking.
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