dialing down rage

in the shrink’s waiting room, in a big comfy chair, 
white noise machine cranked up full blast with 
new age flutes floating out of Bose speakers 
strategically placed to get wired up guys like
 
me calmed down, chilled out before entering 
the sacred temple of mental and spiritual 
restoration. they need me a bit numb before
beginning the session, actually eased off the 

ledge of discontent upon which I’m generally 
perched. And I gotta say, the waiting room
ambience generally does the trick, considering 
I always charge in the joint pretty raged up by 

the shit ass world we’ve created for ourselves 
here on this spinning ball of galactic madness. 
but when he opens the door, smiles and 
motions me in, I’m quite mellowed out, in the

groove, ready for self-exploration with an eye 
on improving my mental approach to all things 
extant, though I know ten minutes after I leave, 
driving home, I’ll be cursing out other drivers 

and the universe itself. maybe I’m just addicted 
to the insanity of it all and can’t really let it go. 
maybe I don’t want peace, after all. and why 
do you think that? he asks. and so, it begins.

Paul Lojeski was born and raised in Lakewood, Ohio. His poetry has appeared online and in print. He has published the satirical novel, The Reverend Jimmy Pup. He lives in Port Jefferson, NY.