Cycles

When I was 16 or so I had a manager
At the movie theater who told me, Spencer,
When you are great you are great,
But when you're not you're not. You are
Hot and cold water.

And so it has been for all of my life.
I have been called brilliant and foolish
And wise and naive
Lazy and possessed of a vigor
That made Pete Rose look like
Al Bundy.

The sex is either great or nothing.
The ideas are either life or death.
I am tired of the ceaseless vacillations;
Sometimes I just want to get off.

Sometimes I want to ride, ride, ride.