My brain and heart
Would fist fight
Night after night
If they had fists
As they lobby
For this
And that
One wears
A hat
The other
Lives on a sleeve
One wants
The other needs
It’s rare they agree
Or so it seems
Even though one
Affects the other
Can’t have the lightning
Without the thunder
So they say anyway
Probably in a country song
But whether they get along
Or not
Matters not
Because I need them both
They create balance
a new found necessity
As I am continually
Walking the high beam
Living dangerously
But with that comes
Possibility
And dwelling there
I am free
To see
Opportunity
Staring back at me
coyly
with a “come get me”
grin
that says
“where have you been
for so long?
Let's you and I write a song”
One that will be here
long after I'm gone
As the wind blows on
and on and on

Robbing me of holidays
Time shares left in the bottom drawer
Hiding behind confusion
lives colliding
Head on in the present
Riding the fence
Occasionally climbing down
To my side
To play for awhile
Trade a few smiles
Until you are beckoned back
How it kills me when you disappear
Somewhere over there
In another world
It seems like years
Yet then you appear
A reluctant wave
To let me know you’re still there
Overpowering any semblance of restraint
In a treasonous act
My hand gestures back
Then I look at my grass
And start to question its green
Your eyes catch mine
With a soft, subtle charm
You whisper with the wind
You mean me no harm
Despite all my confusion and doubt
I believe everything
That never leaves your mouth
and I lay back in my grass
hands behind my head
stars winking at me
soothing my soul
waiting patiently
if only you would
climb down from that fence
but this time for good

These days pass
         at Zeppelin pace
         I wonder about the sea
         what's down deep beneath
          have you ever looked at a tree
         an old, almost ancient tree
         and thought of roots ...
         followed the roots down
         until you are above ground
        somewhere far more foreign
         than anywhere here
         and what blossoms
        opposite the roots
         confounds you
         you wake up sweaty
         a hundred years older
         but not a day
         shows on your face
         not a single trace
         of travel
         yet you know
         you've gone
         Moving on is hard
         at first
         cause you cling
         cling, to the dream
         or what you surrender
         to your mind is a dream
         and you're back
         back to the task
          whatever it may be
         but 20 leagues below
        the sea of your soul
        you remain confounded
        at what blossoms
         below the roots we
         see as trees
         and for a second
         here where we
         capture time
         and make it march
        we see ourselves
        scattered like atoms
        on a cosmic beach
        winking at stars
        who watch us shine
         below

       By: Jack Piatt

So this is goodbye again
My fickle friend
You were hard to live in
At times
Others like the moon
Surrounded by stars
people and cars
Everywhere
A hum hanging
In the air
A chaotic symphony
Swooping like blind spirits
Through streets and hair
And I left you there
Behind me
Staring eagerly after me
As if a toy
Fled your playpen
And you want it back
To parade me around
Manipulate, twist and bend
Toss playfully into the wind
Caring not
Where I land
Just another speck of sand
On your overcrowded beach
Yet still within reach
A pawn without a Queen
Just a wasteful tyrant King
Waiting for the East to bring
Your next crop
Of starry eyes
And hungry hearts
Actors hands out for their parts
But I’ll sneak out in the dark
As the ghetto birds hover
Over dogs that love to bark
And then I’ll finally be free
And when your highways
Wake you in the morning
I find it funny
You won’t even miss me

- Jack Piatt

Running and laughing
  As if
A fearless schoolgirl
Climbing through my mind
A playground for her games
My heart
  Wet leaves below her feet
  The veins bleed crimson into muddy puddles
As my feelings bubble to the surface
Unnoticed by the towering eyes above
The bell rings and she leaves me again
Nothing but lonely echoes of laughter
Shadowed smiles hidden behind a darkened stage
Waiting for the curtains to rise once more
One more show
As the actors take their places
The bell bites into awaiting eardrums
Feet pound and patter the ground
Jump ropes and monkey bars
Bouncing ***** and frisbees scraping gravel
Laughter fills my head like an aquarium
Tiny fish swim by oblivious
Completely unaware of my sponge-like brain
Retaining water
Slowly quieting
Drowning inside the water-filled glass cage
At last
        Thoughtless
Bubbles rise from deep below
As my heart pumps air and blood to my lifeless brain
All the while she climbs
And laughs
Playing so innocently
Yet intently
Absolutely ignorant to her power
Not realizing as she stares across the chess board
That her opponent’s brain has stopped
And he is now playing with his heart
Now easy prey
Young, injured, or old
Take your pick
He is the scent of blood to a hungry shark
In her child-like mind she continues to play
Still not sure as to the extent of the challenge
A blaring bell sounds off in the distance
One more day’s reprieve
The footsteps and the laughter subside
The curtains fall together
The stage again grows dark
The aquarium is quiet
My heart beats double time
Waiting until tomorrow
Waiting for her hands to begin the climb
Staring at my pieces on the board
Knowing I’m in check
Just waiting for
The mate