15,937. I WAVE AT NOTHING

 I WAVE AT NOTHING

Back in the old days I waved back at 

everything that waved first. People, I'm

talking. I was fairly well-known. I'd go

somewhere and - out of the blue - would 

pop up a face that knew me. A nod, and

I'd wave back, and talk ensued. My goodly

wife always said, 'What's with this? People

either love you or hate you, and from either

side it's scary.' She was right, and a few of

these encounters did turn vile, here and there.

I never fought back, just went down at the

first hit, and stayed. Neither did I care.

-

I had friends, on the other end of the 

spectrum too, who'd just as soon shoot to 

kill for retribution. Requests got weird: 'Hey,

can you have this guy roughed up for me? 

He's my girlfriend's ex, and won't let us be.'

A few charades at the Maple Tree can attest.

-

Mostly, though, life was easy and restful enough;

I'd cared little for matter, as matter cared little

for me. Enough to huff and puff. The bar life was

almost free.