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Hank Roberts May 2012
I have nothing.
so I'll talk to you
while you're in Malaysia
about the innocence of war
and the grace of missile silos.
I could tell you the
grass is blue here
and you wouldn't know for sure.
Don't fret because I'll give you
my soul unscathed and my
heart under no pressure.
You say left is left and
right is right then the world aligns
for all to see that we're
all just the same even
beyond you and me.
He was sworn not to tell
the story of us all and now
we're all turning in circles about
our time here spent.
No one knows our words but
you, me, and that miraculous
invisible wire
Hank Roberts May 2012
There's nothing more to see
but you and your red pants. You see
half the pie though there's more in the fridge.
The birds fly south for the winter
and you do as well but return on the
first sun of May.  You said cry your
eyes on the wind but why not
upon your breath? It's hard to see
you sink through mist especially
when I forget the words
that would make the wind guide you here
Hank Roberts May 2012
I knew I was real when I trembled
Shivers and bumps, there was
Nothing more to see
But you and your red pants.
They came in a best value combo pack.
The bracelet clings to my wrist,
Last legs and countless scenes
There is no box on any special that comes close
The second hand counts whilst we laugh
I'll never be a few sense short
When you're gone and passed.

My heart mentioned going out of business
75 percent off, I'll even barter my soul
You said cry your
eyes on the wind but why not
upon your breath?
Come and get it,
Before I'm left with only peach pits.
You don't have to try so hard to find me
I'll be in the middle of the road
Honk so I know my coupon
isn't expired. You see half the pie,
I see there's more in the fridge.
Two for one,
Not even a genie can beat that.

No thesis declared or carts to push
the shelves remain vacant
like empty boxes in the walk in freezer
The birds flew south at winter
You did as well but came back on the
first sun of May. It's hard to see
you sink through mist especially
when I forget the words
that would make the wind guide you here.
You ought to know buyer beware
Hank Roberts Apr 2012
When we have too much fun
We’re just like those monkeys they
Tested ecstasy out
on and they ate all they had
in twelve hours. Recovery now
was important here.
It’s like the leaf,
lost in the wind,
trying to find the
branch it fell from because it can’t.
It’s the shirtless man with a striped tie
That declares us insane,
Sort of how the call us un-American
But, they take all
the pride out of it anyway.
The con is telling me how to keep
things straight while he changes
His wig from dark
to light, loafers
And not Nike.  For this
to work, David and Goliath
Need to shake hands he quietly says.  
you lost all depth,
you only know about the solar sun.
Hank Roberts Apr 2012
I'll remember her jumping from the airplane to
only disintegrate into billions
of peppered flakes. I'll remember the way she sang
the blues, soft strong, sweet and true.  
I'll remember how they mimicked, how
they tangled language with my soul. I'll
remember the images, turning conniving, clashing and
rushing. The feeling of love in the heart after
carelessly putting yourself together. What does order matter?  
I'll remember Umberto and all he keeps, secret exposed,
rounded and squared.  I'll remember the woman from
the 19th century who haunts me to this day, the
magnitude of the final words of the last zombie.  
I'll remember the glass hairball I couldn't quite hack up,
choking pain, sharp and small.  Knowing I'll never
be stuck in latin translation when Mariana's around is
the greatest relief. I'll remember how she plugged the moon in
so I wouldn't get lost in the rain, graceful purpose, poise and calm.
Her love poems that sent shivers down all our spines. I'll remember
how I drank from her wine glass form and I lost my wits.  
I'll remember when she read my tarot; I felt like Macbeth,
informed mistake, crowned and *******. She only knew that the people
of Hortor would invade.  I'll remember how she won class
the day she pointed out the irony.  The thing I won't remember
is when it all stops going and there's just a room of empty chairs.
Hank Roberts Apr 2012
He said I was considered
a sinner because I talk of death
The holy do as well

I didn't trick a man to **** his son
I didn't flood the earth,
There's more than one way to see Noah's rainbow

The earth rumbles temples and
Splits pillars in two
as someone let all the pidgins go

You could see the red when
the sea is parted, Don't forget
your horses when the river's back

Do as you please but only when your told
or you'll wake up on the shore
only remembering Moby ****, ask Jonah  

They say go for your dreams
but if you miss Goliath's head
you ain't got a chance in hell

The ten insights made from mountain stone
the words reverbed from cascade to cascade
There's no excuse if youre lost in translation

There's not one "t" in Calvary
but today there happens to be three
Good thing he saved them all

The blood was poured ******
So all heaven and hell could see
That we're still clueless as before

The Sabbath reads ten after nine
The Lessons of life are real
but we still go every which way

He said he wasn't going to betray
All you need to know
is that he hung himself from a tree

Hold your guard and stand strong
don't let a little lady ****** your hair
or everything comes crashing down

Tag team with Daniel in the Lion's den
he'll probably set you free and say,
"watch the spear in the back"

Modern times solidify the past
It seems pretty easy to blow stuff up
in the the name of God

Though the sixth commandment
is broken our measure of error
is also our error of success

I floated down the river in a basket
The current was just right and my mother loved me
tonight on this passover night

Sell your brother for brotherly love
Hopefully the bridge ain't burned
You'll see him again someday

I haven't seen as many animals as Noah
Besides, he was hoarding them all,
After building the new world from native wood

Lucifer was canned from heaven
After he tried to kick God offstage
He now has his own show to run

They ate the forbidden fruit
Setting the way of life eternity
Simply by setting the world on fire

When the staff slither's snake
One better harvest before it's too late
Hank Roberts Apr 2012
He said he wandered lonely as a cloud
I wandered socially as a *****.
laying awake on a couch and catharses  the world
you have tears like that of a newborn child
Everything on the couch is mild
but out and about they're  horses tears.
Many people have the crocodile ones.
It always catches up to them eventually.
I wandered socially as a *****,
with the light in my eyes
and a hammering pain in my chest
all the love in my life are satirical jests
that leave a shoe print on my face
I guess that's better than tire tracks
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