"you are
so beautiful,"
I said, and then wept when
the uncertainty flickered in
her eyes

I couldn’t tell my mother
That I had kissed a sailor.
She wouldn’t understand;
I’d feel the force of her hand.
My father would concur
He’d stand beside her
They’d both call me names
And give me all the blame
Because surely I knew
That’s not what I should do.

And though I still feel today
They knew no other way
I told myself they never knew
That what I was feeling was true.
It was an emotion stronger
And powerful and lasting longer
Than a whim or a fleeting crush.
A moment that made the world hush.
They saw it as a cause to grieve
And I saw it as something to believe.

That love was real and had power
To stretch a moment into an hour
Then the hour into a lovely week
That shows you what you seek
And teaches you what you deserve
If you simply act and have the nerve
To be who you are and be proud.
Look them in the eye and be proud.
Tell them you are sorry they’re upset;
You will love who you will with no regret.

You told me lying was a sin;
You lied.
You told me cheating was a sin;
You cheated.
You told me adultery was a sin;
You cheated.
You told me stealing was a sin;
You stole.
You told me cursing was a sin;
You cursed.
You told me dishonoring my country was a sin;
You dishonored my country.
You told me to keep my promises;
You didn’t.
You told me to live by the Golden Rule;
You didn’t.
You told me to be careful of the company I keep;
You aren’t.
You told me to help those poorer than I;
You don’t.
You told me to be an example to youth;
You aren’t.
A question arises, by and by;
Is everything you said a big lie?

Someday I’m going to learn to speak up!
I swear I’m going to proudly reach up
And take back what is truly mine
And that day will be fine.

Someday I’m going to tell all the people
What I think that the bad people
Should not  be allowed to do
Like commit crimes on you.

I’m going to let people know exactly how I feel
And not silently pretend things aren’t real
That are hurting, denying, robbing
My fellow human beings.

Today I am going to change things
And appreciate what life brings.
Listen when the birds sing.
And what poets are writing.

Someday I am going  to raise my voice and sing out
Whenever there’s something to sing about
Even when there just seems to be
Something important to me.

Let your flames lick my skin,
Eat me away until I’m nothing.
Just ash lost in the wind,
Riding it’s current, catatonically.
Floating on the breaths,
Words left unsaid- regrets.
Boil me in your grip
So I can quietly slip,
As smoke, through your
Choking fingertips.

-SLuR

Walking home
ripped I tripped
on a dead dog
half-in the ditch
hard as a log
and stinking.

I said *Scoot over bro,
come morning
there won't be a spit
of difference between
you and I in the eyes
of the buzzards
and the beholders.

isn't it time

for penitence?

I just forget everything

and don't talk to anyone

except for you, dear Lord, you are my ball and chain

having died and come back again I get to look back
watching old movies of myself,
sleeping last night off, leg twitching
dreaming of moving along a motorcade of immanent death

one by one getting flat tires, running out of gas, suddenly the battery
dies

I get out of the car, look around, and see, to my surprise

a loved one's love looking back at me, twisting in the wind, empty, alone, drunk,
its my father or mother lifting my brother or sister from the back seat to the front, carelessly driving, ceaselessly swerving

towards the waterway

if it wasn't for the guardrail,  we'd all be dead

time is a ritual now, and it hurts to come back to life, to feed the living,
to get dressed in day-old church clothes, to hit back, as one sneers at being sneered at, I pick up the Daily and skim the headlines, Lost and All Alone, A Stranger Takes a Dive, toss the rag and head to work, fixing to lie to my boss about being sick, about tasting olives, about who I am.

Society: You're so ugly
Girl: But I'm happy
Society: You're too fat
Girl: But I'm happy
Society; You're not pretty enough
Girl: But I'm hap-
Society: Stop trying nobody likes you
Girl: But I'm h-
Society: Nobody cares about you
Girl: But-
Society: Go away why are you talking to me? Loser
Society: Wait where did you go?
Society: Come back!
Society: Why would she **** herself?
Society: She was so pretty and nice and everybody liked her why would she go?!
Society: We will miss you