The Bouncer

You keep
showing up
at the Doorway
To the Mystery
wearing
the wrong
clothes.

You heard
that’s where
The Good Stuff
is, but the
Bouncer won’t
move aside.

The Music and
the Poetry and
the Stories and
the Dancing
beckon you,

but you’re
wearing
the wrong
clothes.

Yesterday
you showed up
dressed as
The Man
Who Wasted
His Life.

One time
you showed up
wearing your
“I’ll Never
Get It Done”
costume.

This morning
you were
turned away
because you
insisted on
wearing
that ridiculous
“I’m Too Old”
getup,
moving along
like you were
made of slowly
drying
cement.

Listen to me:

Try appearing
at the Doorway
To the Mystery
as Your Self,
in that
black hoody
and those cat hair
covered sweatpants.

No costumes.

And tell the
Bouncer
you were born
in The Mystery.

Watch him
step aside
and wave
you
in.

(Photo by Abhay Singh; UnSplash)