as you gracefully swing
in the breeze, with a chill
that simply brings us
closer to the way we want
to be.

The rivers can wait
til you choose the time
and let your hair down
to glimmer and flow in
the sun.

The birds can hush
and sleep soundly
tonight in the warmth of
your song that makes
young ones dream.

The bees have only
the second best sweets
compared to the scent
of your hugs on
my arm.

The stars won’t do
on an evening like this
when your eyes hold
the shine of a dozen
lives lived.

My heart can stop
and gasp in awe
as your love tickles
mine like a nuzzle
or sneeze.

And I can rest lightly
in blissful glee with
the thought of your
lips pressed up next to
my cheek.

why you did it
still escapes me
but nothing else matters
now

all that savings
for better lives,
vows and memories
don’t make it any
easier

some kind of relief
or reassurance
would be great,
but i know there’s
nothing you could say
or do to fully
convince me

i hope It has
my nose or eyes,
but surely It has
your voice

… guess we’ll see

watch over the colony
shedding their lives
to pay for a lend

cover your ears
don't humor the calls
but cully the fear

"please, we are freezing
there's not enough food
our children are ill"

hush little ones
your leaders have failed
shame on the lot

this is your trial
and We are the judges
sitting on hands

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls
witness every shape and size
and as the whole world spins and swirls
not all but one may realize

Life brings trouble, worry and woe
but drowsy spirits pave the way
for pacing thoughts rode to and fro
until the breaking light of day

In these notes
Are countless tales
Of memories, tried & true

But not a word
From endless books
Compares to me & you.

The turn of phrase,
Or so it goes,
Says all begins anew

I’ll be right here
’Til your last page
And in the next one, too.

is where it doesn’t
feel intrusive
day or night

Someone loved will
come along to
lock the doors
and close the light

That simple laugh
from out the porch
will set me down
to listen right

And on arrival
you’ll be there
to touch my lips
with pearly whites

here we meet yet again
caught between the truth and lies
almost can’t remember when
the last time silence felt so nice

Why not unleash the roaring flames
that have warmed your heart for so long now?
Giving in to passion may ignite our lives
like the fusion of heated elements
to create a star

Floating through the void is much less pragmatic
without the perfect appeal of a complimentary pole
Do not be afraid to pull me closer
for I am careful to keep my astral course with yours
A spectroscopic alliance
as of a binary star
soaring beside, never to collide

What’s this! what furious outrage
dares to challenge the bond that is unmatched,
unscathed by the push and pull of attraction
throughout the infinite abyss known
as life and leisure?

A supernova of despair;
a plea for renewed harmony

Well, I will bare the storm of ultraviolet waves
with arms folded at chest
protecting the stellar core that is yours to behold
Yours to claim
once the cosmic dust has settled
Once devotion has conquered

In the depths of my self
lies a world so lucid and bright,
so in tune with itself
where your eyes,
unwavering in the face of event horizon,
sparkle with such starlight
as bright as days of old

I see you there
and nothing else exists

Most of it happens
under the hex of
the small hours
between these brittle walls
in the chaotic silence of
daybreak
while the neighbors rush off
to work

Not a sound
but the hum of
a ceiling fan
toiling the extent of
my thoughts
til it's actually time to
“wake up"

The gentle crunch of
Kitty's breakfast
rings with such soothing
abrasiveness
even the crickets can't compare
Nothing can match that
care-free lifestyle I so long for

Long for...
How long exactly?
Three hours past dawn ought to
do it
unless dreary rays of light
burn through my eyelids
and rekindle the cyclical
carnival
that cons the day's authority
over sleep

Way back in August you had said to me
That if I ever try to leave
You'd follow me to heaven and through hell
Well now I'm on my way to see
How far the stars will carry me
And you've been left behind with doubts to quell

So please excuse my destiny
And with a hint of courtesy
I'd like say to you, I wish you well
Would love for you to be with me
Out here where all the world is free
Instead of staying stuck inside your shell

See you around then, once again
Say goodbye to this old friend
I tried to show you love, you weren't interested
Give me a sign then, take my hand
Show me where our love has been
I won't be hangin round til then
See you around, my friend

I made it through the fire it seems
With just a couple third-degrees
And now my skin is tough enough to tell
That if you can't hold on to me
And trust the man that's underneath
Then there's no way to save you from yourself

So have fun searching endlessly
Keep wading through the male debris
To try to find a man to break the spell
I'm sure that your friends all agree
You're happier when you're with me
Too bad you've made the choice to say farewell

See you around then, once again
I'll say goodbye to you, old friend
I tried to show you love, you weren't interested
Give me a sign then, take my hand
Show me where our love will stand
I won't be hangin round til then
See you around, my friend

shiny ‘vette
velvet walls
noontime cabaret

passing by, bye

cigarette
cell phone calls
boot mark to the face

push and pull
take the cake
climb to the top!

rise at the top!

wallet’s fat
bank account swells
now some time to wait

nice and full
got it made
winding the clock!

(winding the clock!)

scratching backs
fingernails smell
now i'm turning grey

take my dime,
not my time

what was that?
slot machine bells
not for me today

or any day

one more sip
of lemonade
when will it stop?

when will it stop?
when will it stop?
when will it stop?

when will it?

the heat is unbearable
but not like the cold,
without the chance to
gather my bed
for a long slumber

this meal tastes like
ice and poison,
why would they
eat this junk?
then again
maybe they don’t

just a little higher,
i can totally reach
the brim
where the small heads
look on with glee

i wouldn’t hurt anyone,
and i forgive all the
voyeurs
for sacrificing their
time to watch me
survive

i just want to
go home

hello,
how can i help you?
...
sure i can do that,
do you have an account with us?
...
i'm not sure Sir,
did she leave a hint?
...
well, i would but
i'm not your wife.
...
it means i have no way of knowing
what her favorite book is,
can we try another form of info?
...
that's not listed here either Sir,
aren't you a grown adult
or do you get a kick out of
lewd prank calls?
...
you won't have to,
i don't need this stress.

Don Juan loco, hablas del amor, pero no es puro
Don Juan Loco, el fuego de tu mirada revela tu traición

Ayúdame! Estoy muriendo, el sentimiento es abrumador
Cuanto mas te amo, mi sed de tu locura se hace mayor

Dime la verdad y me quedare y luchare por ti
pero dime mas mentiras y no voy a seguir

Don Juan Loco, perdida en tu solitario corazón
se encuentra la esperanza que solo tú debes hallar.

It's heavy on the head,
that letting-go part.

The whole,
"We need some time apart;
it's just too draining.
Maybe in a few years we can see
how much you are
and where we want to go
from there."

Figures.
Always running the show,
always giving me a hard time,
lifting me up
just to slam me down,
whooping my *** while I'm
sprawled out like roadkill.

(Though it's so hard to turn away...)

The lies are told to desperate ears,
making the pickings ever sweeter.

Thanks for the pick-me-up!
Now where's the put-me-back-down?
When do we plummet
way past our infamous goals
to the deeply imagined?
More than a fair share of fun
for the measly price of living!

Too many goodnights
haunted by negativity,
when sleep is better
than anxiety.

(The real test is when it decides to show its face again...)

Bah,
that won't be for a while,
at least until I've
made a name for myself
in some...
other way.

Once the mirror shows beneath
the tailored suede suit;
then we'll see who separates the lazy
from the dead.

I wonder if there will be a day
when I can wake up,
sure that there will be no more
condescendence
from my craft.

i think he was a delivery guy
building four, number 2
across the walk

a moped with one of those
cage attachments
for carrying food
or packages
or whatever

one time i brought over a
loose hammer found near
his bike and caught a
glimpse through the door

gray couch,
folding chairs,
table full of wires
nothing out of the ordinary
same layout as ours

white Hats barreled in
before we could react
the dog was first
then my brother
then me

guess they had some bad intel

Here’s another day to breathe
With fewer yet to be
Set the time for better eves
But do not wait for me

Justify the game we made
In wallowing the fear
Pretending limes are lemonade
As weeks turn into years

Through a friendly daze to weave
Conceal the feelings known
But promise not to wait for me
Until I’ve fully grown

Yes, you can keep your eyes at sea
As countless tales may go
But darling, do not wait for me
For I may never show

two times the charm
a gallon of tears
bedtime rituals
and the most out of life

still
the glass is half
empty

a ring made of your mind
tickets to dreams
freedom from blame
and three handfuls of safety

now
it's but half
full

everyone says
strong bootstraps
beget rewards
while leagues
of craftsmen
struggle

everyone follows
another trend
overboard while
Davy Joneses
hold their
breath

everyone feels
their sin
beside beggars
with hands
made of
*******

everyone thinks
job creators’
heroic strength
will someday
trickle down
decency

but

everyone knows
when something
is heavy
you lift
from the
bottom

To Whom it May Concern,

My blood begins to burn
and I’m compelled to spurn
the current plans to turn
our mascot to a worm.

The members from my firm
cannot stay taciturn
when our alumni learn
that strangers overturned
the past we had governed
because they’re all stubborn,
seeking to be modern
and spread, exploit and churn
their folly and their germs.

I urge you to discern
the consequence you’ll earn
unless you can confirm
our legacy long-term.
We will not adjourn
until it’s reaffirmed
that history is stern
and keeps our old pattern.

If you do not concur
and submit to our terms,
then surely you will yearn
for courtesy interns
as funding will downturn
and we will watch you squirm
like spiders in an urn
at the point of no return.

Sincerely, Dr. Kern

i used to have this
friend
we would go outside
during the days
after the bell

one game we played
was kind of like
hunting
except it didn't
feel natural

lizard brains
were easy enough
to catch and ****
without a second
thought

we would stuff their
mouths
with explosives
then find and burn
the remains

until that time he
accidentally blew off
his own hand

they're living in flowers
up high and across the sea

while we avoid potholes
and bugs just to scrape by

many learn lessons that schools cannot teach
where ego meets danger and unknowns beseech
perhaps there is nothing and everyone’s clean
or maybe there’s something that’s going unseen
from teachers who cheat to admins who steal
no dose of prestige can save lives that are real

the crossing guard owns twenty cats with the mange
school cop clipped his brother while out on the range
a history teacher abusing his kids
librarians selling school books to high bids
the crew in the arts are all in on a coup
while the principal staff launders money for *****

hey, i’m just here to sweep up and i call what i see
other folks won’t speak up but a few will agree
i don’t do that no more, i’m out five years last june
they’ll be following suit lest they change their act soon
still no one here dares to expose what’s involved
in keeping the peace held among these halls

even though
you’re halfway
across the world
by now

it still feels
like we’re at
opposite ends
of the same room

Another day, another shot
To use your ammunition
Giving everything you’ve got
To friendly premonition

It won’t be Independence Day
For eyes that graze the ground
And every step along the way
Will only feet be found

Look out for the birds
Whenever life’s lows get you down
Cause looking up’s the quickest way
To rectify a frown

boom.


that's it.
that's the poem.

No matter how much strength of yours is kept
It always comes back down to whom you know
For every time you think you are adept
The caws of meritocracy doth crow

Americans have dreamt in dreams of gold
High hopes upheld with promises of clout
By working hard there’s fortune to behold
Lest lack of means cause gatekeepers to doubt

Yes, push that rubble up the sacred hill
To watch it fall and tumble to the depths
For all eternity it is your will
To pay with sweat and blood for all your debts

Perhaps if only there were something more
To lifting destitution from the floor

bun in the oven,
trophies in the attic.
i used to be a beast,
still am in the office.

bad shades and good vibes
are what we used to sell
from fast car windows,
pre-straightened edge.

no more just getting by,
we're gonna do better
than what i had to do
to please the 'rents, if that.

bathroom mirror is worn,
stains on the counter
from hidden faces
and powdered noses.

cool, calm, collected,
clearly a success now
just don't check the
top bedside drawer.

expose the fear
without a word
just show receipts
and it crumbles

sound the fife
whence you’ve found
a new tuppence
beneath the throne

watch your back
or feel revenge
bite your tongues
and swallow them

don't you forget
who’s in charge
and whoever else
thinks they are

take the name
in every land
from subtle cues
to ration life

show me
how to be

what I need
who I am
why I care

when's the new?
where am I?

I am the ram
and you are the moon,
or at least that’s what
we’re told.

My footing stays precise,
to help leap across large gaps
or swiftly tackle obstacles,
avoid a potential mudslide
or traverse rocky waters.

But now the tide is shifting,
as your relentless core
pulls my heart above the earth
where I can see a haze of
lush mountaintops, free from the
uncertainty of life on the rocks.

I’ve seen this magic before,
but this time it looks
too real.