Equator Hymn

he meant to chase away the sadness one day
to chase it away with anything, anything really
he meant to chase away the sadness with a torch
or a vacuum cleaner or aspirin or booze or electric
neon hologram jesus figurines that glowed in the dark

he meant to chase it away by hiding the words that he swore
and whispering the fashions that he wore
left over from the last three years
the fourth year having been not very fashionable
and more inclined to use polyester than was really necessary or wise.

he meant to chase away the sadness
and so he squirmed and shook and shimmied and stung
he broke and fell and wallowed and whined
he sipped and supped and wandered and won
and then finally, finally
he belched like a broken beast.