The Dude

I am The Dude,
self-ascribed titan of nothing,
king of no kingdom
except the beautifully ungoverned republic
of right now.

Living life in the moment,
though calendars pretend to matter.
I plan just enough
to give spontaneity something to overthrow.

Bad ass of kindness,
mercenary of mischief,
dealer of absurd observations
and soul hugs disguised as sarcasm.

Psychedelia of people
that is my preferred weather.
Strange souls, wild hearts,
story collectors with coffee in hand,
music lovers speaking in lyrics
and laughter that arrives unannounced.

I float through my world
like a happy conspiracy of chaos,
equal parts campfire philosopher
and overgrown boy with questionable ideas.
Hanging.
Glamping.
Primitive camping if the coffee survives.
Roadside diners with suspicious pie.
Random conversations with strangers
who somehow leave as old friends.

Give music a whirl
Otis in the bloodstream,
Zeppelin in the thunder,
Amy dripping velvet heartbreak,
some forgotten song suddenly becoming
the soundtrack of a Tuesday.
I believe playlists reveal more truth
than résumés ever will.

Foolish is a must
to ride with The Dude.
If you cannot laugh when life pantses your dignity
in public,
we may struggle.
Bonus points if you dance badly
with unreasonable confidence.
Double points if you sing lyrics wrong
but with conviction.

This caravan prefers authenticity
over polish.
Leave the curated perfection at the door.
Bring your weird ass energy.
Bring your pirate laugh.
Bring your deep thoughts about aliens, tacos,
or why socks vanish into parallel dimensions.

Only requirement:
Leave the fucking attitude.

Not your scars.
Not your quirks.
Not your awkward stories.
Not your overthinking at 2 AM.
Just the arrogance
that mistakes cynicism for intelligence.

Kindness gets VIP access here.
Because beneath the nonsense,
beneath the laughter and the wildly unnecessary commentary,

The Dude knows this*:*
Life is hard enough.
So if we are lucky enough
to cross paths in this spinning cosmic roadside bar,

let us be ridiculous.
Let us be music and stories.
Let us be the weirdos
who made each other laugh so hard
the darkness forgot our address.

…I am The Dude*.*
Pull up a chair