Mr. Skank just wanted to lie down on his back, open his palms to the air, listen to his breath slow, and let his thoughts rise freely into the ? until he fell asleep.  But he could not.  There was the baby to watch, dirty dishes to wash, laundry to start, grass to mow, garbage to drag to the curb, bills to pay, his account to balance, his mother to call, his classes to plan, his boss to please, a book to read, his friend to write, and his project to complete.  Each day it seemed he had less energy, less will, less money, less time, more chores, more duties, more regrets, and more inertia.  He felt like a big heavy rock, a dull gray 250-pound rock denied its right to fulfill its true nature, to come to rest and to remain at rest.  Mr. Skank made a list.

    1—Talent?  Hardly held in high regard!

    2—His reputation?  Permanently scarred.

    3—Heavenly beauty?  Inevitably marred.

    4—Perfect freedom?  Certain to be barred.

    5—Personal effect?  All strife does retard.

    6—Eternal truth?  Life is way too hard.

    7—

Just then his toast popped up charred!  This was his life!  He had double-bogeyed the eighteenth hole and everyone else had parred!  In this reflection, Mr. Skank had missed the tiny diamond lights by which the vast black night sky is so brilliantly starred and twice six thousand million miracle eye mirrors are nightly lightly kissed.  Not out but in, not up but down, he stared.  And in that well if he saw hell, who cared?  So stank Mr. Skank, one fine blind big old fat tub of lard!