Up-town

One day as I was walking back from cleaning the down-town sewage

I came across a man from up-town who was munching his up-townish stewage.

“Why so down?” He said to me, a smile on his face.

“It’s an up week, an up day, and up time right now; you must be up in this place.”

“I try to go up,” I said to the man “but gravity pulls me back down.

When I try to fly, and reach to the sky, I just end up back in down-town.”

“That’s silly,” said he, and put his arm around me, “You’ll only end up where you go.

 If you try to go up, with all of your might, I promise you’ll get there, I know.”

“You don’t know.” I argued; I thought I was right, but I didn’t know what he knew.

“Of course I do,” He explained to me, “For I used to be just like you.

I was born in down-town, I hated my life, I was sure I would die as a downer,

But one day I looked up and I saw a new life and I moved and became an up-towner.

“I had the same job; I had the same grief, and all the same troubles and strife,

But you see, I was happy because I looked up, and I now had an up-townish life.

I may have had the same problems, but I didn’t let them get me down,

I saw that I had many good things, and looking at them led me straight to up-town.”

“I think that I finally might get it!” Said I, as my heart quickly started to race.

“If I just see the good things instead of the bad, I can get out of this down-town place!”

I looked at my family; I looked at my friends; I looked at my electric toaster!

I looked and I looked, and as I looked up I realized up-town was closer!

I looked at the love and I looked high above all the dark and saw music and light.

I saw so much more with my eyes off the ground and I knew that my life was alright.

“I’m in up-town!” I cried with a tear in my eye, “I’ve been here the whole entire time!

I was caught up in my down and I failed to see that my life was extremely sublime!”

“You see?!” Said the man, “I knew that you’d make it; I saw you were already there.

Most men just don’t see that they are in up-town cuz they’re not looking up in the air.

So now that I’ve showed you this wonderful thing, it’s your turn to tell all the rest,

They’ll all be more happy if you help them see that up-town is truly the best.”