An Ineffective Curative for Fear

An ineffective curative for fear
Has got me worried. I have sold my car —
Remember when I couldn't drive too far
Because I was afraid, so I stayed near
The places I was well known? It was clear,
From early on, the door was left ajar
For my escape. Whoever these friends are,
They scare me. Oh, these noises that I hear!

A devastating lassitude has struck
My aging senses. There's a reckless vow
I can't revoke, a fallen alder bough
I can't step over, and a bit of muck
I'm sinking into slowly. Hear that suck?
It's me. I'm having trouble breathing now.

Taller Than the Trees

You're smart, and good, and taller than the trees,
Your heart is seven times as strong as steel,
The grace you've shown is causing me to kneel
In full submission and, while on my knees,
I see the same things anybody sees
From down below: the blood will not congeal,
The festering, deep wound will never heal;
My own unworthiness makes my heart freeze.

I'm ugly, mean, and an ungainly fool,
Dismaying to my few friends, sad and weak.
From high above me, loved, admired, and sleek,
You know your duty: follow every rule,
Take your inbred inferiors to school,
And elevate us all, make the sun speak.