A Life Like Vanilla Poem by Byron Headrick

I wanna
Life like Vanilla
A little bland
But expected smooth
A creamy soft sweetness
Without the need for forgiveness.

I wanna
Life like Vanilla
To lift the karma of my soul
Above contention
Beyond retribution
To a place where
You’ll never meet
An old lover that you
Forgot to call
The day after
In a grocery store aisle.

I wanna
Life like Vanilla
Where there is no reaction
To action
Or inaction.
Where you’re guaranteed
To reap what you sow
But no one cares
Because…
It’s ALL like Vanilla.

YEAH!
I wanna
Life like Vanilla
Where the rent is always paid.
Where the final cost
Is never
Too high.
Where you never
Wake to find
That you not only
Have an incurable disease
BUT
That you passed it on
To the one you love
The most.

HELL YEAH!
Give me
A life like Vanilla
Without the threat
Of nuclear terrorism or
The need to overthrow
Evil dictators
Where soldiers are
Never mothers
Or fathers
Or sons
Or daughters
Or brothers
Or sisters
And exist to only attend
Ceremonies
And present awards
For patriotism
Where no one attends
Because they’ve grown
Common
Expected
Old
Allot
Like
Those
Barely touched
Tubs
In Ice-cream parlors
Flavored
Vanilla.