one thing in common between
the greatest books ever written
and myself was that we were
banned from the schools

we turned our backs away from this
****-poor attempt at a system of education

and we’ve been inseparable ever since

what’s worse than death
is not living life

we are eaten by the
trifling technicalities,
like rabid weasels
and assimilated into
the void of non-existence

and when the day comes
that our hair
has all turned grey
there will be nothing left
to die inside our hollow shells

death is not the end

but the beginning

our lives are just the preface
and we tend to skip over it
just to get to the good stuff

so when death
comes knocking
at your door with
a singing telegram

she’ll be disappointed

the end is near,
so darling stop your fear.
prepare for the worst,
because everything  has been cursed.

dry your eyes,
stop believing lies.
keep yourself whole,
stop being a fool.

forget the plans, enjoy the ride,
run the course with all your pride.
never stop even for a while,
keep your face with a smile.

all the pain will be gone,
don’t you worry ***.
everything’s gonna be fine,
you’ll reach the end of the line.

He shed his ego
Like a snake letting go
Of its skin
And wandered into
The land of
Ill intention
And the darkness
It harbored inside

His mirror had been shattered
There—left on the ground
Pieces to reflect
What was missing before
Until one after one
Each bad wish was contained
Prismatic
—light reentering again

(Las Vegas Nevada: January, 2018)

His grandmother named me golden honey
As she dipped a silver spoon under my tongue
She reminded me I spoke like Kentucky
Voice lilted in the breath expanding my lungs

My unrequited named me brighter than the effervescent sun
As she stared at me from a foreign satellite
Unaware that I had long since passed
And my light was only verse, only memorized

My love called me a flower, using the Latin name
Planted me in his garden, watered me through my ears
Unaware I was a late bloomer, he still tended day by day
My roots would not encircle-burrow-my stem sprouted no leaves

I replaced my name with something heavy, like Wagner
Holding myself down through my chest
Replaced my name with something heavy, like Strauss
Echoing transfiguration and death -