Placing My Past in the Present

There's a bear out there?
No, it's just a skunk in the tent
Now shake out those shoes for scorpions
So we can wade into water
And freeze beneath the geese
Thumper 1-100, Bacon and Ms. B
All sitting in the back yard
Awaiting an unpleasant surprise
Over hot coals in a barbeque pit
And I've been fishing through my past
Most of it tossed back
Because its not of the prescribed limit
But I've still got plenty to eat
And its not any of that hamburger helper stuff
No pre-packaged convenience for me
My kitchen cabinets are filled with fireworks
Exploding against the side of the house
Amidst a chorus of laughter
Or lost up chimney flues
Sending embers raining down on rooftops
And snaking through the night
Like boats on the river
Seeking out a respectable enough cove to swim in
Weary of large reptiles
Waiting beneath the surface
Next to the front door I keep maps
Of Texas parks and New Mexico caverns
And snapshots of Mexican markets
That bleed colorful memories into the carpet
With each passing day
I see you in the bleachers and in the stands
And at the edge of a track field
Coaxing me on
Urging me forward
And I will never have the words
To appropriately explain my feelings
At the great impact you've had on my life
And I find myself emulating you daily
In various thoughts and actions
That spring themselves on me so suddenly
I have a hard time not choking
On all the nevers I uttered
Before setting off on my own way
So don't fret when I get a little hard-headed
Or when I feel the need to escape to the woods
I'm just aping the personalities
That shaped mine into being
And honestly, I'm just not that disappointed