Time passes. But the fact is.
Max is barely aware. He's relaxing.
25. Unemployed. Uninspired. Underwhelmed. Overtired.
& avoiding himself.
A fire's trying to burn up inside of him.
He puts it out, blindly. Reminded of his childhood, looking out.
At the full moon, framed by his window.
Thinking of the one place he's been but cannot go.
And he wants to, but it's not there. The place where the wild things were.
And it's not fair. It's a new day. And he sits here.
In and out of weeks and almost over a year.
skipping parties, hardly caring all his friends were out of touch
he was sick of saying sorry, looking back on growing up
He made trouble for his mother of one kind or another
Every day, teaches said he'd never play with the others
but inside of this wild kid, lay hiding a wild king
they lined him up and filed him, meds made him a mild thing.
He'd sit aside and try to find a place in his own space.
Raising walls around him, hallways faded to waves.
He was sailing through his classes, "Max is doing so great.
He's surpassing expectations, we should all thank his aide."
But he was always afraid, as an adult it's the same.
He can stay inside for days, pacing, wasting away.
and he's been chasing escape, and it's been eating him up
and he even made arrangements for in case he gives up
the doctors offered pills and when he pops them he chills, not
conscious of the spark in his heart that is still hot
and he will not talk. he's barely present.
All he cares about is staring out the window at the crescent
moon, leaves too. He grew trees in his bedroom.
He's burning the forest before the horrors can get to him.
Flash back. Up in school with his knapsack.
And his hat backwords trying to flirt with the desk clerk.
Class clown status, yea, but he'd rather get past that
Past but he hasn't and he's mad cause the last laugh
Was had by the jackass who harassed him in gym class
by grabbing his ass and saying Faggot when Jim passed
and Jim passed away about a year and a day ago
Leaving max with a note saying he was gay & alone
Jim missed with the first shot, so he shot himself again
so his father was alerted and he saw the fucking thing
& that was august, they had all just been in Boston
for a wedding for two lesbians his girlfriend met in college
and all of them were having fun, nobody saw a problem
But Jim already had the gun & Max had never caught on
Now he's popping sleeping pills, awake for days, no rest at all
Lonely - only seeking a place where he's loved best of all
That very night, despite the bite of Trazadone and Green
He happened on a ruined raft, his hallway seemed a stream
He had to laugh, he knew perhaps, this all would be a dream
the sea was calm and had no breeze, he paddled happily
and half a moon watched over as he landed on the shores
and subtle sands assured him he was where he'd been before
his limbs and lids were heavy, yet he set off to explore
his kingdom, half expecting every second welcome roars
the forest was indifferent to the tourist on its borders
and the former king was wishing for a wind to carry orders
barely faring, scared and wary, unaware of where he was
Max was fearing for the worst although unclear on what it was
hearing snoring in a clearing, he approached & no one noticed
so he cleared his throat and struck a pose he hoped appeared furocious
he roared and tore the air apart, with royal flare and thrill
& loyal subjects though they were, implored that he "be still"
all gazing sleepily at Max with tired yellow eyes
until a lazy week had passed in silence but for sighs
And often Max would listen to his softly thumping heart
half napping, he had whispered, "Let the mild rumpus start."
"now stop!"
Max dried his eyes in silence while he climbed the wild throne.
Then smiled at his kingdom, standing high on tippy toes
He spoke, "I am the child king of secret things we never show."
The idle things were crying, "Oh your highness, please don't go!"
"You'll eat me up." "We love you so."
He let go.
Milder wild monsters saw the monarch tip his throne.
The moon was full; she told a story of her own.
And without blinking once, Max said,
"no."