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Aug 2017 · 853
Damn Leeches
James Mayes Aug 2017
**** Leeches

I saw one of the guys who live up the road from me,
sleeping on his front porch today as I drove by.  
He was leaned back in an old recliner,
half smiling, eyes closed,
sitting in the only area
where there was currently shade
on the old porch of the shambled house.  

There are four who live there.  
all in their forties or fifties.  
Three with white beards, one without.  
Front door always open.  Windows always open.  
No screens.  Cats lounging around in the sun.
Two couches and another recliner line the porch,
shoved back against the wall,
waiting for the eastern sun to rise a little higher
to put it all in shade.  

They’ll all be out there eventually.  
Common leeches of society.  
Sitting there laughing,
beers in hand,
telling the same stories
they’ve probably each heard hundreds of times.  

**** leeches.  
Always smiling and laughing.  
Enjoying life and not worrying
about car payments and credit cards
or payments on millions of materialistic possessions
they’re supposed to dream of having
as society demands.  

**** leeches.  
Always waving and being friendly
when I drive by.  
Always taking the time to say hello
and ask me how I’m doing
when I take my morning walk,
or sometimes my afternoon walk.  

**** leeches.  
Never once have they invited me
to eat steaks and shrimp
I was told they eat every day,
at the tax payers expense.  
They just sit there,
eating bologna sandwiches
and drinking beer,
enjoying life.  

How dare they rub it in
and mock society
showing off their happiness
the way they do.
**** leeches.  

JSM 8/3/17
Jul 2017 · 235
Acting
James Mayes Jul 2017
Desperately, we search for fool’s gold
In shallow graves
We dug ourselves.

We chase dreams,
Dreamt by others.  
See through the eyes
As closed as the mind.

We get taught by those
Who teach what they were taught
Not to believe,
Because it is what
They were taught to do.

We strive to understand
Who we have been molded into,
While wearing shoes
That do not fit,
But acting as if they do.

JSM 2017

— The End —