the mushroom kingdom at peace (2006)

never let it be said
that the journey was easy,

that there weren't times i
crouched, silent
in the black catacombs beneath my country,
watched the lonesome shamble of blue-skinned goombas
off of sheer stone ledges into bottomless shafts,
punched blindly at bricks i could only hope hid
a burning flower that might light my way out of that place.

but yes, i won in the end.
i rode every flagpole,
pulled every turtle from his cloud-top perch
and sent up the flag of the mushroom kingdom at every castle.

and now i have my own throne
from which to watch my princess officiate,
our bright, beautiful children play,
clouds and coins drift by
my window,

a hero,
sitting still as i can manage,
afraid that i will move a bit too far
to the right,

and it will all disappear.