I have never been without it
The scent of regret surrounds me
Every mistake I ever made
Is the stench that so confounds me

Soaring heights of anxiety
I have never been without it
Not your garden variety
Plaguing much of society

How I long to be free of it
Unrelenting regret believed
I have never been without it
Dry heaving nightmares unrelieved

Trichinosis, lockjaw strangles
My regret knows all about it
Like Joe Btfsplk’s* cloud dangles
I have never been without it

To my friends
who can write
fresh-smelling
bouquets of words
with splendid color,
I offer my envy.
Mine are the blunt, stunted words,
rooted in the cracks
in pavement,
or forcing their way
to light around
overbearing rocks.
Some useful
in their own way,
edible or flavorful,
some with a
pedestrian beauty,
but few that one
would bring home in a bunch
with a box of candy.
More appropriate
in a grimy, young fist
crumpled in love,
destined to be vased
in a water glass
by a doting mother,
or shredded petal by petal
for the sake of soothsaying...
he loves me, he loves me not.

I'm going to dare the fates and speak openly

Julius Caesar, was a pompas *****, who consumed and never gave
A pudgy little waif of an excuse for a man
Cleopatra, wasn't a visual beauty,
She had wit, and the gift of gab
I was her hand maiden
I would know
Technology?!
We are so primitive in this age, Ha!
Nero,
History painted a vague, and awful picture of a great man of men
Indeed,
My Nero, did dance at the fall of Rome
Because we all would dance, at the loss of ignorance
He was beautiful, I loved him
And of DaVinci?
His mind was offset
He was GREAT
His was a traveling soul and mind
Leonardo, looked God himself in the face
And grinned
He was GREAT, as was his son
His son, painted a book
It resides in the Vatican Library
Check if you will
With your "Google"
Your generations wonder of mysteries,
You haven't a clue
Time isn't linear
It Is always
And I grow tired
Hoover, a Hunter
He knew of us
And we hid
Shielding ourselves in shadows
And lies
We are here
We watch
Wait....

I need a bleach bath in some boiling water
Scrub me down with brillo and lye
Degerm,
Sanitize

Im ***** from the inside out
Tainted
Painted
Alienated

Whiskey won't drown it out
If I'm supposed to whisper,
Hell, I'll shout

I've got problems, honey
I'm the goodbye girl
Not a taboo saved from my actions
I deal in nightmares
Whole, not fractions

Acid, can't touch my rust

I need a bleach bath in boiling water
Scrub me down with brillo and lye
Degerm,
Sanitize

Two figures dressed in red and black robes  sat on a bed in a room that was illuminated in red light.  The larger figure looked at the smaller figure and said "This is the day we've been waiting on.  It's ok to be nervous but don't be scared.  You are the sacred vessle."
"I'm not afraid.  I'm just ready to get this over with" said the smaller figure.
"That's just what I wanted to hear Levi.  It's time to get started.  Please follow behind me" said the larger figure.  "Yes mother" said Levi.  Levi followed his mother out of his room and down a hall that was illuminated in red light.  
As Levi followed behind his mother he asked the question "Why do we use red lights to light the compound?"  "Because red is the color of blood.  Blood is sacred " said the tall dark skinned woman.
"When Priest summons the spirit Evil remember not to fight it.  Just let it take over" said the tall dark skinned woman.  "Ok" said Levi.
When Levi and his mother entered the worship area she had him stand in front of the altar and the clergy.  "Thank you Harriet for escorting Levi to the altar" said a tall figure wearing a black hooded robe.  "You're welcome Priest" said Harriet.
Priest stepped down from the altar holding a baby creature in his right hand and a knife in his left hand.  Priest stabbed the baby creature in it's stomach and ripped it opened.  He stood in front of Levi and dipped his finger in the baby creature' s blood and anointed Levi' s forehead with it's blood.
"Bring me The Book Of Evil" said Priest.  A short figure wearing a black hooded robe stepped down from the altar and brought Priest The Book Of Evil.  Priest turned to the chapter evil and began reading.
"As the night blinds the sight of the male and female and Death stalks the living and Hate stands on the grave of Love only then will Evil reveal itself.  I offer this vessel to the spirit Evil.  Come forward Evil I summon you."
When Priest finished reading from The Book Of Evil the red lights that illuminated the compound began to flicker off and on.  From out of no where a gust of wind began to circle around Levi.  Slowly the wind transformed into black smoke.  Levi was over taken with fear and unable to move.  The black smoke entered through Levi's gaping mouth and took possession of him.
Levi shook violently and fell to the floor.  "Levi are you all right?" asked Priest.  Levi stood to his feet and looked Priest in his face with eyes as black as death.  "The child is no longer in control" said Evil.  Evil walked up to Priest stool his hand in Priest's stomach and pulled out his intestines.
"LEVI YOU KILLED YOUR FATHER!" screamed Harriet as she ran over to the lifeless body of Priest.  "I am Evil.  Like I told the child's father Levi is no longer in control but for amusement everyone may still call me Levi" said Evil as he looked at Harriet.  Evil pointed at the figures on the altar and told them to get rid of Priest's dead body.  "Yes Levi" said the robed figures.
"Harriet go gather the members of Sinister and bring them to the worship area" said Evil.  Harriet walked out of the worship area and to the office of Iniquity.  She turned on the intercom and with a commanding voice Harriet tells the members of Sinister to come to the worship area.  Harriet turned off the intercom and stood in the office for a few seconds.  
What have we done?  I can't believe I let my ten year old son be the vessel to that thing.  I can't believe we were stupid enough to summon that thing thought Harriet.

Written by Keith Edward Baucum

I live,
In the lucidity of dreams
Undreamt

Eternally naked,
In front of a crowd
Yet, dwelling
In a trench coat style
I'll bare you my soul,
Yet hide my face
I prefer my words, on the wind
Felt,
Never heard
A fading voice
In the chamber of
Never Unlocked
In the realm of things touched
I remain untouched
Unkown
Reality holds no fascination for my eyes
I went blind when the hopscotch grid got washed away by the rain

I live
In the lucidity,
Of dreams
Undreamt

So the other day I put on my big, black hat and hobbled down town
(Yep, hobbled as I fell stupidly playing in the yard pretending as though I was a kid and tore a ligament)
I donned my black chucks and I was hot **** again for a while
I threw on that big fur coat my grams left me And a few of her gaudy jewels
Anyhow, I went down to "L" street and sat on that bench again
The one in that make shift "park" where they lined up a bunch of big rocks and called it good
I sat and looked at that giant lady painted on the side of that falling down brick building for more than a bit
"L" street, The bad part of town where you can get anything
Not named L street because it's L shaped, but because of a pill that apparently makes you Tripp
I guess you can or could get them there, the L pills I mean
So I sat there thinking and being mad
Staring at that giant, painted, brown woman
She advertises tobacco from 80 years ago and she's almost gone
Flaking and peeling,
Pieces of her lost to the wind, and to time itself
She smiles
And she's beautiful
And I hate her
But since I was 15, She draws me to her
That Tobacco Lady, with her smile, and red dress and feathered hair
She always smiles
When it rains, she smiles
When it snows, she smiles
Hell, when half the ******* town burned
That ***** smiled
I cry, she smiles....

That Tobacco Lady

She guessed she was, just one of his "girls"
He thought he'd Delight her, with a few of his twirls
But he didn't notice, while the others wore pink
She was dressed in black, having a drink
Nothing like them, insane, her middle name
She didn't just dance circles, she played the game
She'll burn your house down, while you sleep
So pray the Lord, your soul to keep
And should you die, before you wake
Anything worth a ****, she will take
She'll lock it up deep, in her trophy chest
Placing your things, with all the rest
And She won't do it, in an arena
She's a 'burn your house down', ballerina
Dancing in ashes
That's her fashion
Her Pointe slippers, tainted black
Not rhythm but Empathy, she lacks
Never involve yourself, in a crazy dance
Or Being burned alive, is a definite chance
It's just her nature, who she is
She'll drink your coke, but she won't **** with fizz

When a petal was a rouse
weighted a ruffed grouse
only this accusation
arose their superstition
today my summation grew
with rust nestled wing
that alighted by a house
as wood in a broom
let in the ravine
a newness in Celtic
and at their word again
upon this knoll in
soon grazed on brome
ignited their noble cavil.