I once met a forestry ranger
In the depths of a dimly lit wood
She warned me to steer clear of danger
And I told her I would if I could

I then met a four-eyed doctor
Who diagnosed me with unhealthy skin
In the very short time that I talked to her
She observed it was dangerously thin

I next met a forensic detective
Who examined the mud on my shoes
And recommended a thicker protective
To shield my poor soles from abuse

I then met a foreign ambassador
From a kingdom remote and removed
Exotic but totally taciturn
Her statements could not be disproved

I later met a forlorn professor
And assumed we might get along swimmingly
Like a shipwreck I tried to impress her
But her preference inclined to the simile

I furthermore met a fortune teller
On a poorly paved path to the beach
She foresaw not a single best-seller
Overburdened with figures of speech

Our crude imperfections they serve to remind
     Of the ****** limits by which we’re defined
               And so I surmise
               That you need not despise
     The ephemeral flaws of a natural kind

There’s a state of profound integration
But the ego demands separation
       So the mind flips about
       Like a panicky trout
Who’s deprived of essential hydration

There’s a novel in which I’ve been caught
But my storyline’s tied in a knot
Come villain or lover
I’m drawn to discover
The author who penciled my plot

There’s a mind that relentlessly rioted
And honestly couldn’t be quieted
Distraught by illusion  
It hungered for fusion
Like Plato’s original dyad did

The heart
Is not an *****
As many think

The heart is a muscle

Does the fact that mine was crushed far too often
Make it weak
Or make it strong?

Echidna walks by
Percusion personified
Complete with long nose