ask and sometimes receive

by Fred Aiken

i’m not asking for much
but i’m still asking,

and i don’t think that 
should disqualify me from receiving a response,
no matter how transparent,

though it might seem rather silly,
at least at this point,

i’d still like to receive the truth
and nothing but the truth,
but i’m not one of those silly folks 
that goes into the other room and holds their breath like some David Blaine magic trick,

so just tell me what i want to hear,
and i swear,
	that’s the last you’ll hear from me