POEM - You Can Quote Me

Whenever I draw my mouth like this
Give a look like this
And drop some sassy knowledge
About the latest gossip
Buddy gets some props
A parenthetical quote
In physical comedy form

And when I get into a discussion
Deep and philosophical
With a random stranger
I hear Fletcher’s voice
Mirror his action
Play the game he taught me

My inner salesman
With the winning charm
And engaging small talk
That person I call Barz

When I am kind and I listen
Think about my actions
About others first
And the happiness of the less fortunate
I am Linda all the way

When I do what I should
And I look at the situation
Think before I act
Keep a cool, even head
And act with maturity
I am Merv for a few minutes or more

And sometimes I am lunatic
And odd and queer and peculiar
A frustrating cunnundrum
Of blurring contradictions
Where I take all of the quoted personalities
Throw them in a metaphysical blender
And pour out a tall drink of me
A little bit of everything
Rearranged and adapted
In a mostly awkward way
Writing my story
Borrowing heavily
From past matters
Many footnotes
A large and growing works cited
Forward yet to be assigned
Dedicated to my lovely wife
Who put up with me all these years
And to all the people along the way
Who didn’t trip me up
But lent a hand
Gave me an ingredient
Became a part of the whole