Process hope she says
Find the beauty in all things
Effing counselors

Arrange communication, over.
Roger, Out.
Inform the Chain of Command
Contact the Chaplain
Execute a satellite uplink
Notify the next of kin
Start the phone tree
Make the arrangements
Honor the deceased
Comfort the family
Pray for the soul

Colorful, tasty
Sticky swirls, canes, and powders
Make the tongue delight.

Ambulance, paramedics
Diabetic coma; sigh

Citrus trees, tomatoes, and fertile soil
Garliconiongingersoy
and ant spray

Contentment
Cigarettes and hate

Aqua Net
White school paste
Bitter slimy spinach
and blue ditto ink

Confusion
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate

Baseball glove
Mown grass
Fresh popcorn

Sadness
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate

Cramped, stale cars
Claustrophobia and
Cat litter

Loneliness
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate

Petroleum
Locker Rooms
and Perfume

Indifference
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate
Cigarettes and hate

Smoggy skies
Salty beaches
Beer trucks at each end of the block
Love

And...
Blessed...
Divorce

Unforgiving heat
Cool drink
Giraffe,
Hippo,
Wildebeest,
Gazelle
Sip muddy water hole
Crouching low.

Unforgiving heat
Cool drink
Texans
Sip fridge-cooled Camelbacks
Crouching low.

Light breeze
Eggplant skies
Tall savannah grass
Sways
Masking movement.
Predators travel
Unseen.

Guns ready
trophies sighted
Giraffe
Hippo
Wildebeest
Gazelle

Bullet chambered
Trigger finger
trophies....

Running?

Cheetahs pouncing
Texans screaming
Law of Nature
End of Story.

Happy Unicorn Poem

Prancing in the meadow,
Warm sunshine on her face
The happy unicorn did not see
The hunter’s hiding place.

Eating rainbow candy,
Smiling ear to ear
The happy unicorn did not know
The grim reaper lurked so near.

Singing gentle lullabies
To the butterflies,
The happy unicorn did not know
She’d cause them all to die.

Lapping at the trickle
Of the crystal, sparkling stream
The happy unicorn did not hear
The hunter’s arrow ZING.

A chipmunk tried to warn her
Squeaking out in fright
But it was simply much too late
With the arrow fast in flight

A pretty yellow songbird
Tried to knock the arrow off its path
But the arrow’s razor edges
Cut the songbird right in half.

Then a fuzzy little bunny
Jumped as high as he could jump
When the arrow passed right through his throat
He fell down in a clump.

A brightly colored butterfly
flew into the arrow’s way,
the arrow was not diverted,
It was not her lucky day.

Only three feet later
The arrow found its mark
Extinguishing forever
The creature’s living spark

The hunter popped up in delight
feeling quite a thrill.
That he would soon be famous
for his magical creature ****.

He bounded through the meadow,
running toward the woods
yelling out in victory
“I always knew I could.”

He kicked aside the chipmunk,
He stepped upon the bird
He booted the bunny’s body
into a pile of mud.

He was almost to the butterfly,
When he stopped.
Dead in his tracks.

What he saw before him,
Caused his body to go slack.

He did not see a unicorn,
Lying lifeless there,
But it was his precious daughter
his own arrow in her hair.

The Old Enchanted Meadow
With deep magic all around,
Teaches lessons to all of those,
Who trod her sacred ground.

Today the hunter learned the most painful one of all,
A man who would **** a unicorn does not deserve beauty at all.

Vendredi
A fall Friday evening

A football match
A rock show
A café
A restaurant
A night out
In Paris.

A suicide belt
Armed gunmen
A suicide belt
Armed gunmen
A suicide belt

People
You
Me
Mom
Uncle
Baby daughter

Killed
Killed
Blinded
Killed
Maimed
Killed

To appease
A bloodthirsty
Desert god
Allahu Akbar.

These words are a sock, soft and warm from the dryer
butterknife
palpable
lullabye
maroon

These words are bits of glass, attacking my ears:
Yaw
Ketch
Blurt
Epizeuxis
Jactation and
Mauve

These words are brass-knuckled fists to the face
Mogadishu
Rwanda
Desert One
My Lai
And
Nine One One

These words are a sneaky cat, slithering here and there
Mystery
Secretive
Lurking
Sly
Shadowy

These words are unknown to everyone but me. Private words for private thoughts.
Uiyak
Jackassdom
Nothingofanyvalue

In Battalion,
Misery is served in a thousand ways.

Misery is served in buckets of rain
and hours of wind.
Unyielding, soul-******* cold and wet.
Porous jungle boots that invite the frigid water in and soften your feet for a relentless 30 mile march.

Misery is served in a stifling aircraft flying Nap of the Earth.
A nauseating rollercoaster ride that never fails to elicit
chain reaction vomiting from the paratroopers rigged to jump.

Misery is served at pool PT
When your arms and legs feel like lead
and drowning is a better alternative
than the aquatic torture that you’re enduring.

Misery is served during blistering Company runs
led by the Commander
who was a college decathlete.
Runs where the strongest of us
pulled aside, emptied our stomachs,
and rejoined the formation.

Misery is served by no warning alerts
separating families and lovers
for indefinite periods,
sometimes forever.

Misery is served by the Spec 4 Mafia
Unleashing Hell on new Rangers
testing their threshold for ****.

Misery is served by road marches, prickly heat,
Black Palm, and sawgrass. It’s served by desert heat,
Arctic cold, and the stench of the world’s worst places.

Misery is served by the loss of brothers in war and training,
gone too soon to join the Great Ranger in the Sky.

Through it all, misery hardened my body and strengthened my soul.
It made me a warrior and ushered me into a Brotherhood that will be with me until we all sit at the great table in Valhalla.

So on this Veteran’s Day
Embrace the ****
Endure the pain
Invite the Misery
For that’s what makes us
Men amongst Men

Rangers Lead The Way.

He is a bookworm humming marching tunes with a caribou.
They smell the sky, hear the sand, see the bright red light with their tongues.
Ed Ed the Knucklehead hides his hands in Ottawa.
Ed never hid his hands, he revealed them for all to see.
Splish-Splash, Splish-Splash, his webbed feet slap the tiled floor,tasting, tasting, tasting.
Walking, walking, walking
The foul-smelling wall of hunger screams empty codes at the freezing sun.
"Calculus," whispers Ed, "I want more Calculus."
The math will sneak by, he will feel its shadow; but not yet.
Sour triangles whirling openly greet the visitors.
Powerfully they mask their entrance embracing fraudulent identities.
The caribou now speaks his truth, "Ani rotzeh tachtonim."
Blindly the door opens and reveals all that the caribou desires stripes, rainbows, little flowers.
Down the long pathway to nowhere.

He entered our classroom
Quietly
Something in his hand

A slip of paper
Assigning him
to English 11b

English words
Thick in his mouth
He whispered his name,
Jaime Chavez

Jimmy Changa!
someone mocked,
Had one of them for supper
Nice to know you burrito boy.

Jaime Chavez smiled,
And remembered.

He entered our classroom
Quietly
Something in his hand

A book
Shakespeare
Carefully noted
In Spanish and English

Jimmy Changa
Someone mocked
Whatcha got there?
A book?
You don’t need them to cut my lawn.

Jaime Chavez smiled,
And remembered

He entered our classroom
Quietly
Something in his hand

An award
Superior achievement
English 11b

Jimmy Changa
Someone mocked
You didn’t earn that,
*******, ******, ****

Jaime Chavez smiled
And remembered.

He entered our classroom
Quietly
Something in his hand

Full scholarship
Princeton University
In English Literature

And something else

A bumper sticker
"God Bless America,"

Which he carefully
tacked to the bulletin board

My name is not Jimmy Changa.

My name, is Jaime Chavez

And he smiled.

Thundering voice
evoking fire, demons, eternal suffering.
Eyes burning holes in our souls
chastising, rebuking, shaming.

"Enlarge belief, says the Lord our God,
or be cast into the lake of fire."

Women wept, men trembled, children sobbed in terror.

Tonight's collection would be a dandy.

There he is
the loudest guy in the bar
Boasting about clandestine OPS
and battles he’d ‘prefer not to remember’,
But he does,
because he has an audience

There he was in Ramadi, Korengal,
Tikrit, Kandahar, pinned down by dozens,
no hundreds, of enemy fighters.
His best mate, was hit by shrapnel or an enemy round.
He screams for Doc
But no help comes
The barroom hero
applies a compression bandage,
but the blood continues to flow through his fingers
Minutes pass, his buddy worsens.
Doc arrives, finally.
The buddy is stabilized and loaded onto a stretcher
He’ll be on the first bird out

The battle hardened warrior continues his tale,
regaling his table with airstrikes, CQB, and
taking the battle to the enemy.

Someone asks, “What unit were you in?”
He replies proudly, “The Second Ranger Battalion.”

You set your own beer down and spin from your chair.
You make your way from your table to his.
You place a silver coin upon it,
“Second Ranger Battalion,” you say,
“Coin Check.”

The color drains from his face
Fear in his eyes and an ‘Oh ****’ expression on his face,
He stammers something about being ‘attached’
and having orders for Ranger School once.

Your icy glare tells him that he’d better
**** and **** before he is no longer able to do either.

He throws a $20 onto the table and finds his way to the door.

******* ****.

The 8 Days of Hanukkah

On the first day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - A Torah portion that I can't read.

On the second day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - Two loaded bagels and a Torah portion that I can't read.

On the third day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - Three spinning dreidls, two loaded bagels, and a Torah portion that I can't read.

On the fourth day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - Four Shabbos goyim, three spinning dreidls, two loaded bagels, and a Torah portion that I can't read.

On the fifth day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - FIVE Maccabeats, four Shabbos goyim, three spinning dreidls, two loaded bagels, and a Torah portion that I can't read.

On the sixth day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - Six mohels brissing, FIVE Maccabeats, four Shabbos goyim, three spinning dreidls, two loaded bagels, and a Torah portion that I can't read.

On the seventh day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - Seven Jews a-kvetching, six mohels brissing, FIVE Maccabeats, four Shabbos goyim, three spinning dreidls, two loaded bagels, and a Torah portion that I can't read.

On the eighth day of Hanukkah, my rabbi gave to me - 8 burning candles, seven Jews a-kvetching, six mohels brissing, FIVE Maccabeats, four Shabbos goyim, three spinning dreidls, two loaded bagels, and a Torah portion that I can't read.....

Friendship

Friendship is not a jewel or a coin or a gift
Jewels and coins and gifts don’t die
Friendship is not a flower or blown glass;
Friendship is not fragile
Friendship is not a poem or a melody
Because friendship cannot be forgotten

Friendship is a symphony
With grand overtures
Melodic harmonies
and unforgettable phrases
punctuated
by
Attacking staccatos
                 Vibrant arpeggios
then peaceful interludes

And sometimes
rests

Followed by thoughtful segues

All held together by a coherent structure
called
Respect

I see you there
In the rearview mirror of my life
Fading
As I move forward
knowing
we'll never ride
side by side
again

Christmas holidays
Joy, Laughter, Cheer
"Merry, Merry, Marigold," sang Mum
"Merry, Merry Mum," sang Marigold

Cheeks and nose tips
glowing bright pink
against frigid air.
Bodies at sharp upward angle
ski lift carrying them
Up Up Up

Tips slightly skyward
they slide smoothly from the lift
Marigold then Mum

Side by side
Each spies their downward course
With mighty heaves they push off

"Happy Christmas, Mum!"
"Happy Christmas Marigold"

Marigold's helmet
A disco ball
Glitter, sparkles, color
reflecting brilliant sunshine
A comet streaking downward
Screaming toward terminal velocity

Mum carves a serpentine path
A python's body in the new snow
Fresh
Natural
Tranquil

Somewhere near the top
Children hear a hideous snicker-snack
A pine bough vorpal sword
Finds its mark in someone's back

Somewhere on the mountain
Sun melted snow
And the carefree happy skier
had nowhere else to go

Her skiing day ended
Amid the trees and dirt
Her glistening glitter helmet
Crumpled
Filled with earth

Paralysis would be the happy ending,
but this is not that day
The little girl named Marigold
will never get back up to play

That's the tragic outcome
when trees meet vertebrae

Her friends gather together
Engineering an awesome little shrine
filled wth flowers, cats, and baseballs
and even a basketball-sized porcupine

Beneath a mighty pine tree
Friends embrace and say goodbye
Christmas holiday is a rotten time
For little kids to die.

Smile, Dear Child, smile
Our tears will be gone -
In a while.

Dieu a appelé ton nom
Et les anges t'apportent au Ciel
Ton étoile brillera toujours
Il donne espoir aux rêveurs,
Il nous rappel de ton amour.

Requiem eternam dona ei
Et lux perpetua luceat ei
We will always, always love you,
our dear, sweet Carrie.

Your life is less than worthless to me
It is a stain on a perfect world created by the perfect being
I want to cut off your face with a rusty knife and feed your flesh
to wild dogs.
I want you to feel ground glass and petrol splashed into your open wounds
I want to set you ablaze - and watch your skin blacken and crack
I want there to be no end to your suffering
I wish upon you Perpetual agony
I want your soul to be tormented by demons and your children to know their names
I want your house to be a pestilence amongst your people
and disease to run rampant therein.
I want the all powerful and ever living God to smite you into oblivion,
erasing all traces of your being from the universe.
I want all manner of vermin to gnaw upon you and make your essence theirs.
Condemnation is your name and the deepest circle of Hell is your domain.

I hope
That in the end
I've made your life better

Now:
The EMTs respond.
A Jane Doe is found dead.
Beneath the I-90 overpass.
They lift her
Zip her into a bag,
And transport her to the morgue.
They can’t feel sad.

Today:
The few wispy strands of hair that remain
Dangle haphazardly from her scabby head
Jagged misshapen teeth protrude from dry cracked lips
betraying breath that stinks of infection and decomposition
Vermin gnaw on exposed flesh while parasites feast within.
Her eyes dim as her body putrifies.

Last Week:
Mission workers prop her up against the wobbly chain link fence
A thin blanket is wrapped around her bony shoulders and
Her blue-tarp awning is adjusted
She would be less wet and cold.
For a night.
They leave a cheese sandwich and chicken noodle soup.
The rats eat most of it.
She wouldn’t have kept it down anyway.

Last Month:
The shelter is scary and dangerous.
She couldn’t sleep without nightmares and her screaming disrupted other ‘guests’.
The shelter workers apologize and put her out at 2:19 AM.
She finds a spot between two dumpsters.
It reeks of **** but is unoccupied.
Sometime in the dark she is ***** and beaten by two crackheads.
The crime is unreported.

Last Year:
The fluorescent lights sting her eyes.
The antiseptic smell burns her nose.
The noise and chaos that surround her make her dizzy and disoriented.
She fights hard to get away but is restrained by strong hands – then leather straps.
A painful jab in her arm and then nothing.
Days or weeks later she emerges in a haze.
Kindly eyes greet her.
They stay with her.
They accompany her to the shelter.
They tell her to come back for follow-on care.
She never sees them again.

Before:
The divorce rips her heart in two.
She has nothing.
She is nothing.
Her world crumbles beneath her and she crumbles with it.
Where would she go?
What would she do?
Everything has become so wrong.

Once Upon a Time:
She was happy. Joyful.
Filled with life and hope.
He was smart, funny, successful.
Together they were magical.
Perfect.

Her hands are neither soft
nor attractive.
They are a white fish belly from too
little time in the sun.
Her nails are stubby and unadorned.
Her fingers are tentacles projecting
unnaturally from undersized palms,
tips rough and calloused.

I must stare
I cannot help myself

Then it begins.
The movement.
The tentacles scamper here and there.
They reach
They touch
They pound and poke
and stretch and crawl
and in their grotesque fury
teach me to love.

Mozart and Chopin
Prokofiev and Bach

The piano is a time machine
transforming the tiny practice room
into the mighty concert halls
of Vienna and Prague.

From the gallery I am
entranced by rhapsodies
seduced by nocturnes
and consumed by symphonies.

I murmur,
does the music stir your soul?

She glances up
briefly
and returns to work.

Have you ever seen a chimp’s hands?
His were exactly like that.
Leathery Weathered Stained
From 50 years of farm work.
Today I see those hands
Moving chess pieces around the board
Masterfully

A moment of dissonance.
Like snow falling on the Visayas,
It was that strange to me.
Simple man, where did you
learn this sophisticated play?
In your tiny village on the remote Philippine island?
Knight to G-5, takes Bishop
He glances up and smiles.

I forgot the sound of Grandpa’s voice, but not the rattle of the farm truck
I forgot the names of the workers, who smiled so broadly when he brought envelopes filled with money.
I forgot how to tie a fishing knot, but not the taste of the fried fish
I forgot the floorplan of the yellow house, but not the sadness that consumed it
I forgot about the stuff that I hid in the crawl space when we moved
I forgot most of the math after 10th grade, who needs SOHCAHTOA anyway?
I forgot my freshman locker combination, but not the rank smell of a high school locker room.
I also forgot the love that I once felt
because I’m sure that she’s forgotten me

During the Depression little Evie
sewed dolls from Granny's quilt scraps.

World War II knew her as Evelyn.
Builder of planes, defender of freedom.

Cousin Bobby called her Auntie,
He moved in with us when he was 12.

44 years of first graders adored Mrs. Bennett,
who read them stories with love and expression.

She was Dad's one and only Sugar.

Now,
one breath later,
she is

the deceased
the body
the cadaver
the remains

Nothing more.

Last night I dreamed

I dreamed of Kiki playing in the driveway.
I dreamed a beach ball and a jump rope.
I dreamed a smile and love.

I dreamed a slow moving car
Guns pointed out tinted windows
I dreamed shooting, POP POP POP
I dreamed tires squealing
And blood.
So much blood.

I dreamed the life leaving Kiki's body
next to the beach ball and the jump rope.

I dreamed of three boys begging for mercy

When I dreamed none,
I dreamed of Kiki's smile once again.

Anathema: Cursed by Ecclesiastical Authority

She blamed me for her excommunication
She blamed me for her banishment
She blamed me for her ostracization
She blamed me for her condemnation
She blamed me for her fear
She blamed me for her shame
She blamed me for her loneliness disgrace humiliation suffering
She blamed me for her pain
She blamed me for her agony
She blamed me for her dishonor
She blamed me for her punishment
She blamed me for her tribulation
She blamed me for her immolation

My name is Anathema.
She is my mother

Before he was here
He would have said, "bereft of feeling,"
Now he says TBI

Before he was here,
Overwatch was a game.
Now it keeps him and others alive

Before he was here
He was a conscientious vegan.
Now he's an omnivore,
Devouring vacuum sealed inorganic meat byproducts.
With vigor

Before he was here
Musty was the damp basement smell-- endearing, familiar
Now it's the infection smell -- nauseating, familiar

Before he was here,
There was good and evil,
Now there are only shades of evil

Before he was here
She was there,
Always.
Now she is gone,
Forever.

Before he was here
Death was distant, clinical
Now it's cloying, visceral

He doesn't know if he'll be able
To return to the time before here
He doubts it.

Sister wants the jewels
Brother eyes the deed to the house
Aunt Jan covets Grandma’s wedding ring,
She has for years.
Uncle Ted asks about the furnishings.
Casually.

Like carrion beetles we swarm
seeking the juiciest bits for ourselves.
Masking avarice with feigned grief

Après Paris
Darkness seems so close
Threatening and present.

Even as we mourn,
Our hearts tremble
Wondering

Are we next?

Slate skies
Stinging rain
No rainbows today.

Wicked laughter
from darkened houses
terrifies.

Defenestrated neighbors
Swing from ragged ropes
Tattered clothing
Exposes inhuman things

Soulless creatures
Skulk and lurk
patiently waiting
for beating hearts

Broken gravestones
hide terrified children
clutching iPads.
Fading light in a dark, dark
world

Gethsemane
Butterflies, fawns, the quiet trickle of a nearby stream.
Apostles argue.
Again
Some want pizza
Others teriyaki
A few want pastrami from Moshe's Deli in Nazareth

"Brothers. Time is short," said Jesus quietly,
"Let us not argue. I have brought a potato. Let us share."

The Apostles look at each other in dismay.
A potato?
What is this another f*cking parable?
They were hungry and impatient.

"Look JC," said Simon
"You're the Messiah and all, but we were hoping for something a little
more substantial."

"I bid you peace, Brother," said Jesus, covering the potato with a plain cloth.

He began the customary blessing for this type of food.
The Apostles bowed their heads respectfully.
One by one they closed their eyes in prayer
Sanctifying the simple meal that was before them.

Minutes passed
Stomachs growled
Apostles began to fidget.

Without warning Jesus shouted,
"Chabada Kedavra,"
and lifted the cloth, revealing a whole roasted chicken beneath.

The Apostles clapped their hands in delight at Jesus' latest miracle.
"Faith feeds us in many ways," said Jesus.
"Amen," said the Apostles in unison....

Completely missing
The KFC bag

That Jesus was sliding
under the table
with his sandaled foot.

Qualify failure
As a peach tree that blossoms
now to forever

The phone rings and it's 2:00 AM
I hear your voice on the other end
You're cryin' and it sounds like he'***** you again
Sure, I'll come get you and I'll take you in -
while you try to work things out with him...

Because I'm not rich enough
I'm not tall enough
I'm not hot enough
But I'm the nicest guy you've ever known...
It's why I'm in the friend zone

A few weeks later I hear your ringtone
You're whispering, so I know you're not alone
He came home drunk and angry tonight
Now he's breaking up the house and he's looking for a fight
You ask if I could meet you at the end of the road
and if I'd mind bringing a change of clothes...
Of course not, I'll be there in 10,
just to get you away from him

But you know...
I'm not hip hop enough
I'm not redneck enough
I'm not bad boy enough
I'm not Tik Tok enough
But I'm the nicest guy you've ever known...
It's why I'm in the friend zone

I'm out with the boys on a Saturday night
County sheriff tears by screaming sirens and lights
The music's playing loud and I'm halfway gone
So I pay him no attention and never looked at my phone
5 missed calls and 3 texts unread
"Help me please," was what the last one said

But you said I'm
Not this enough
and I'm not that enough
And I live on the wrong side of town...
But I promise, I promise
I'll be there...
When they lay you down.

Your sister heard your laugh
The dog stared long into your room
The tree cast a shadow
that looked just like you

Pandora played your song,
out of sync with the station that was on

Your sheet music is on the top of the pile,
Inside the piano bench

My tea tastes sweet this morning.
Like there are two sugars instead of one,
The way you like it.

Yesterday, we visited.
We brought flowers and treats
Sang songs, told stories, and cried

Perhaps, today, it’s our turn

How can I
furnish trust when
your name is Apathy.

How can I
furnish love when
your name is Solitude.

How can I
furnish peace when
your name is Hunger.

How can I
furnish wisdom when
your name is Chaos.

Indeed, my prayers were answered.

Rules are rules
or are they?
If 12:01 is late for curfew
is there a greater consequence for 12:06?
If I call for 12:10 does that buy me 12:15?
Negotiating strictness
Bargaining freedom
Dealing Discipline
Oh to be 14 again.

Images flash as I stand
alone
in Oma's house

The things are here
the remainders of a life well lived

But the animating force
The life itself
is no more

There will be no more gatherings
No more raucous debates about
football or politics
No more screaming kids or blaring music.

The life has left this place

But not the love.

I can still smell her
My heart tells me this will fade
So I drink in all that I can to keep her with me
forever.

Blinding flash
Eardrums burst
Blood, so much blood
Is it mine?
My eyes!
MEDIC!!

Snipping ripping
Scissors and hands tear away at my clothes
Water or something splashes
Burning everywhere
The smell...
**** and fire and burned meat
Is this what death smells like?
MOM!!!

Floating
No carried
On a litter
Now flying
UH-60
****!
Something jabbed...
Floating
Floating

Far away
Voices
Beeping
Crying
Screaming
Begging
Mom?

Closer
Voices
­Beeping
Wheels rolling
Machine sounds
Words
Mom...

Here, Now
Bright lights
Searing pain
Masked faces
Muffled voices
IV bags
Machine sounds
Mom
Questions
No answers

Where's my leg?

We bury
We grieve
We pray

Dieu Nos Protège
God Protect Us

If life’s minutes
were kept in a vault
I would transfer each of mine
to you.
So that you had time
for a cure to be found

Blood red tears streamed…
Coloring her face
Blue
Then yellow.

Looking forward she saw primates
Behind her screaming
“Excelsis!”
to no one in particular.

Listening carefully
she felt the chill
of a raging fire,
crunching,
down the gravel path.

Out of nowhere
Blinding light
Covered her in darkness.
Tossing her wildly against
a thousand razor quills,
soft against her skin.

Grasping the cacophony
the sweet smell of anger
glowed green upon her tongue.
Would radishes grow here?

Disoriented by the pedestrian world
swirling about
She consumed mind-altering substances.
And returned to the unreal events
of
everyday life.

To the merry tune of
"Feliz Navidad"

Let’s bomb Talibans
Let’s bomb Talibans
Let’s bomb Talibans
and help to clean up
Afghanistan
I wanna call in a Spectre gunship
I wanna call in a Spectre gunship
I wanna call in a Spectre gunship
For some close
Air Support.
Let’s bomb Talibans
Let’s bomb Talibans
Let’s bomb Talibans
and help to clean up
Afghanistan
I wanna call in an Air Force J-DAM
I wanna call in an Air Force J-DAM
I wanna call in an Air Force J-DAM
to blow them to
Kingdom Come
Let’s bomb Talibans
Let’s bomb Talibans
Let’s bomb Talibans
and help to clean up
Afghanistan
I wanna call in a UH-60
I wanna call in a UH-60
I wanna call in a UH-60
to get us out of here.

Harry the Hippo was a circus fave
For 15 years on the center stage.
He delighted kids young and old
Balancing ***** on his oversized nose.

Year after year
Show after show
Harry delighted
with his big, whopping nose.

No one under the big top
could have guessed
What horrible thing
Would happen next

From the front of crowd,
in a colorful seat,
A blond haired boy
tossed Harry a treat

Harry chomped it down
and continued his act,
Then
Suddenly
Harry stopped,
And fell flat on his back

Harry rolled right
Harry rolled left
then
Harry died a
Painful...
choking...
death

The Ringleader called for the hippo doc
Who told him that Harry died from
Anaphyalactic  shock
Brought on by a child’s
Peanut lollipop

Grizzly bear lay on the library floor.
Just his skin, really.
The bratty kids spilling red fruit punch on him.

He didn't like to be this way.
He shut his eyes and he dreamed back.

Back to the taxidermy shop with its formaldehyde odor
And jars of glass eyes.
A fat man with a dull knife
Ripping his flesh from his bones.

He didn't like to be this way.
He shut his eyes and he dreamed back.

Back to when he was heaped onto the cold metal pickup bed
Piled crossways on top of two dead deer
His large head flopped on a cooler of smelly fish,
Exposed to the wind and snow
For hours.

He didn't like to be this way.
He shut his eyes and he dreamed back.

Back to the moment when bullet hit bone,
When his crystal clear vision darkened.
When his mighty roar was silenced
Forever.

He didn't like to be this way.
He shut his eyes and he dreamed back.

Back to the crisp fall mornings
Standing in the river
Feasting on salmon
Tall and proud
The master of his domain.

He liked being this way.
He dreamed hard to try to stay there.

I taste the hot dry air as the wind blows through the ravine.

I taste the smoky, spicy richness of meat cooked over an open flame.

I taste the sticky sweetness of a large Coke with ice.

Though my eyes cannot see the game,

my taste buds tell me that I'm at Dodger Stadium,
                    
and I smile.

Seeking power
the Warrior discovered helplessness
Ironic?

Rumbling tumbling
Spinning twisting
Ideas are socks in my clothes dryer mind
Some emerging fresh and new
Some lost to that forever place where socks
and apparently ideas
go

The emptiness hurts

Like a brain freeze
and a sunburn
and sand in your eyes
and a sore throat
and stubbing your toe
and a kick in the *****

all at once.

Today I want to chop up love.

You’re stupid
All the sudden
you axe questions
about places you have went too

All the sudden
You don’t know nothin’
About places you have went too
Exasperating everything

You don’t know nothin’
About nothin’
Exasperating everything
Exspecially me.

About Nothin’
You axe questions
Exspecially me
You’re stupid.