I won’t allow my father’s 80% proof to rein on our parade.
Frayed rope, ******* loose ends
In a battle between
A barefoot path towards my mother’s grave,
Dead-center of the Appalachian advantage
And my childhood mistakes.
Sanity honed in on temporary missteps,
Obliged to take each fall
And walk away
A different man.

Veins protrude through blinded, cosmic dust.
Obliterate signs,
Distant heart beat follows laced intentions
Star crossed dawn
Torn in daylight
Shadows embrace, welded galaxies.
Explosion retracts out of stolen glances,
Await..unavoidable exchanges
“Lie still,” whispers the chamber.

Pendulum on pause,
gallows raised over the bridge.
Air still, threatening voices, overspent applause,
Approach the oak,
trembling eyes and wide posture,
directed North.

Unsettled dust under the frayed cage,
‘A final word, Brother?’
Complete silence.
solemn echo.
The Son is settling,

Crowd: take your prideful bow.

Birds inclined to fly east
Wind ablaze in flames unforeseen.
Swept by bitter blood, lingering formalities
Poisoned by narrow verbiage
And chaos of silence,
Deafening all senses.
Paralyzed by self-inflicted hail
looming over time,
Subtle prints through
These ashes.

Dim recognition in a crowded empire state bar
loose lips bleed proverbial kisses laced with cigarette stained
Promises swearing to leave holy-shaped burns
On the permeable heart sleeves
Of the next sobbing, sober man
In the corner, sipping
Empty shades of whiskey
From the last blow delivered by a 450 mile run.

Wade perilously through violent flames
Decay of a thousand riddles
Of the midnight hurricanes.
Dressed in gray linen,
Eyes gazed downward,
Upon Heaven’s direction
Waiting for some sort of cleansing,
Through one headlight.
Lost in the high lighted directions

(left, right, east 2.6 miles)

Tossed out to sea,
Follow the blue-lit eye
Of our storm
To illuminate every imperfect beauty,
Upon balanced Braille on your heart’s sleeve.