To suffer pain
caused by another
is more harm
than should ever be

To heal and find
greater safety
is more difficult
than should ever be

But inflicting pain
in return only
adds to more
than should ever be

Twenty three
hours of Hell
used to be

worth just one
hour of Heaven

But now

Twenty three
hours of Heaven
don't seem to be

worth even one
hour of Hell

Hi
My name is Dave

Just like all the other guys
Whose names are Dave

So ask for Dave
And someone will
Get back to you

Might not be me
But he's gonna be

Dave

Because my name is Dave
Just like all the other guys
Whose names are Dave

We should have learned from Jericho
but we keep building walls
to keep out and hold in
with fleeting form
what we seek
to call our own

And when they come tumbling down
we wonder what we could have done
and what we will do now
that they are what
they have always been
before we build again

The sun went down
and the moon returned
above a wave
of thunderclouds

The nightbirds sang
and the grey wolves howled
but not for me

Lightning flashed
and thunder crashed
while denizens
of the night joined
the chorus as they fled

But the only sound
that I could hear
was the tapping
of the morning rain

What's the Word?
candles lit held high
"JOHANNESBURG!!"
above the marching crowds

What's the Word?
Madiba
"JOHANNESBURG!!"
Madiba
Madiba
*Madiba

Momentum
must have assumed control
silently and unannounced
a natural spirit invoked
by sparks we cast
as we scraped past all
unyielding foes

before we found
the fading end
of sheer will
and determination

Captive to our struggles
and the numbing victories
that enabled us to reach beyond
the unseen edge of who
we would become

We came across
the settling dust
and gazed upon
the unfamiliar
serenity of endless sky
embracing a still
and unspoiled land

Meandering up Route 1
past farmhouses and roadhouses
through turning and lingering
late Autumn leaves

A pace less determined
than I 95 reveals
a harbor content
with its own
slice of the sea

There are a bunch of peeple
who seem to think it's fun
to get together and have a party
so they can watch each other
*** on America

They are rude and they're crude
and they're disgusting and lewd
and they make a big mess when
they puddle where they huddle

But that's OK
because this is America
where we all have the right
to our own beliefs,
even if they are stupid,
and to fight for our causes
in our own ways

and as causes go
they are just a splash
in a teacup

Besides, they can't help it
because they have tiny brains
and tiny wee wees
and don't realize
that mostly
they are just
******* on
themselves

Star light, star bright
doesn't only shine at night

The nearest one may
overwhelm the rest
while it rules the day
but their light is constant
nonetheless

And if you close your eyes
and feel their touch at night
you will know their presence
even as you open them
to the twinkling light
of day

For America
it's Hawaii

For Canada
it's the Yukon

Still good to be
American

In New England
the brisk chill winds
of Autumn stir
the trees to set their
leaves ablaze
in tapestries of crimson
gold and hues of indigo
orange and magenta
that capture
the gaze of the sun
as they soak in
its remaining rays
before the long dark
cloak of winter
settles in

In LA the scorching
turbulent Santa Ana winds
come sweeping across
the deserts
gusting through
mountain passes to
chase the lingering
unwelcome air
to the Pacific
where the sun
melts the gathering
clouds into radiant
embers of amber
fiery red quicksilver
and cobalt blue
to celebrate
the glory of the day
before the calm dark
canopy of night
settles in

The Center
of the Universe
is no longer there

It blew up
a long time ago

There is no better way
to do heavy lifting
than with a machine

or perform countless repetitive tasks
or manufacture microscopic objects
or handle toxic substances
or fly across an ocean

or accomplish a variety of
actions that humans
can't or won't do

And we rely on machines
to do what we tell them
when and where
and how and why
we decide
without fail
and without error

Machines outperform
humans for such purposes
and are more reliable,
consistent and
cost-effective as well

They do require maintenance
and spare parts
but nothing like health care
and benefits that humans demand

And they can be upgraded
or replaced without fear
of lawsuits or labor unions
or semiautomatic rifles and
sacks full of magazines

They are almost perfect
and better than humans
in many ways

But they can't laugh
or cry or sing
the way we do

they can't get angry
or sad or happy
or feel emotion
the way we do

they can't love
or break your heart
the way we do

and they can't
make you feel
the way you do
when you come home
from work and your
daughter comes
running to the door
shouting, "Daddy's home!!!!!!"

Not in a million years

So humans are actually
far better than machines
in the ways that matter
and the imperfections,
shortcomings, idiosyncrasies,
flaws in our character, mistakes
we make and an endless list
all prove that we are human
and capable of all these
things that machines
can't or won't do

And I am thankful
that I am not some
perfect, error free
switch-on-switch-off
low maintenance
obedient, emotionless
and highly repetitive
tool that strives
to be a machine
because I would rather
take pride in mistakes
I make and be human

especially when
I come home

Iyam wud Iyam.

After decades
of believing that adulthood
is the end of childhood
my skin is telling me
it's time to grow

There is no beauty
in pretense

only the fleeting
mask of some
shameful truth

there's a breeze blowing
down the moonswept plain
rippling through rows
of ripening wheat

as the sun shines slowly low
and thin across the horizon
bathing the land in silver
stark and lightning blue

its rays tug at heavy lids
and shine upon
a mirage floating hazy
far off in the distance

while night washes down
my waking eyes telling me
i'll be there before it
sees me again

and fades to whispers
from the sun
to an empty sky

i'm coming home

The night before my father died,
he told my mother that he was
the Happiest Man in the World

He had been satisfied
that each of his children
had found his and her own way
toward happiness
in their chosen paths

It didn't matter that his own life
was fading, and that soon, too soon,
there would be nothing left for him

So when I think about my own
children, I am reminded of my father
and I understand, whatever thoughts
I may have about my own wants
and needs begin to fade away

All I see are my children's faces
and what makes them laugh
and smile as they go
their own way
while I become
the Happiest Man in the World

They suffer
the harshest loss
family
lovers
friends
community
occupation
respect
dignity
p­ride

Yet they endure

They live in the streets
or the hills
or the places where
no one goes
because for them
there is no home

Yet they endure

And there is no one
to care for them
or feed them when
they're hungry
or treat them when
they're sick and
they have no money
to depend on so
they beg for what
they can survive on

Yet they endure

They are disparaged
as pariahs instantly
and automatically
by most who won't
spare a second
to know them before
passing judgment
and who themselves
would self-destruct if
their better fortune
were to erode by only
a fraction of what
they have lost

Yet they endure

Despite suffering
every painful circumstance
and being dealt luck far
worse than they ever
believed possible
time and time
and time again
they continue to breathe
and to hear the sounds
that play throughout
each day and to see
what visions come
their way and they
feel the sun on their
faces as it wakes them
and brings yet
another day

And they endure

For them the privilege
of being alive when
all the Universe but
this tiny planet has been
without life from
the beginning of time
somehow gives them
the strength to struggle
through each moment
as it comes and to
be grateful for each
experience and whatever
still remains for them
without drowning
in the endless misery
of what is past

And they endure

If you roll snake eyes
for the come-out
you might be out of luck

But then again the odds
were greater in your favor
so you might just be
turned around

And though it may seem
foolish to bet long after
crapping out
snake eyes can be sneaky
and just might strike again

Because snakes can move
their eyes in whatever
way they choose
they can shift them
forward backward
up and down or just
leave them sideways

And they never blink

They are always lurking
when no one is watching
and even more when
they are cursed

So you might just turn the
odds around again and
count on snake eyes
especially after

You've been bit

When a man jumped
off the roof of a thirteen
story building, he yelled

S
o

f
a
r

s
o

g
o
o

I never saw a peacock fly
before I saw one on my roof
and though I haven't seen
that many, I thought I
had seen enough

To speak with some authority
about the way that peacocks
travel, which as far as I knew,
always was on sand and gravel

Their regal nature and the beauty
of their plumes make them one of
nature's wonders, and whenever
I see one, I always stop and wonder

I guess that's why I thought
that peacocks just don't fly

They don't need to hurry,
and never seem to worry,
so they parade along
and let their admirers
marvel at all their splendor

So I was surprised to see
a peacock on my roof,
it surely didn't climb
and there was
no rope or ladder,
but then I heard wings
flapping just above my head
it was another peacock
who went to join his friend

I guess they liked the view
and I learned something new

That even though I would
surely fly, instead of walk,
stretching my legs to
strut my stuff
might be better
if I were a peacock

An empty shell
can hold an ocean
if you get close
and listen
to its quiet roar

Empty eyes
can glow like sunrise
if you get close
and find
who lives inside

And an empty heart
can beat with passion
if you get close
and hold
where it was torn

They stand for centuries
these bricks of clay
in walls and streets
in wind and rain
they never stray

From their formations
destinations cast
by fate

Molded
into shapes
designed to
keep them in
their place
encased in mortar
adding permanence
to finality

Yet from the same
patch of earth
there are grains of clay
in clumps or on their own
that refuse to fill a mold
or be confined in ways
that rob them of their nature

They are empowered
by the blazing sun
and use its heat
to set their fire
as they become
the smoke and flames
that scorch the earth
and ride the wind

The airplane
is not one of God's creatures
but it might be serving
a heavenly purpose
by making the world seem
a bit smaller

And though
it is not an actual
time machine an airplane
can take you from
a place as primitive as
prehistoric times
to another place
as advanced as
modern civilization

in a matter of hours
or even minutes

But to take an airplane
almost anywhere
you usually have to go
to an airport
where you usually
spend an hour, and often
hours and hours,
going nowhere

other than the parking lot
or the rental place or the bus
station or the taxi stand
and the check in line and
the security line and the
food line and the bathroom
line and the shuttle line
and the gate line and the line
to take your seat and the line
to take off and then the airplane

usually has to land at another
airport where, unless you
took a direct flight,
you usually have to spend
an hour, and often
hours and hours,
going nowhere

"Nice Car"
said a man in a Lexus
to a man in a Ford
with just enough sneer
to show that he scored

Then he turned and
heard himself mumble
"Nice Car"
to someone who just
made him feel humble

"Well, it's transportation,
my helo's in the shop"
said a man in a
Lamborghini who
thought he was tops

But then a Gulfstream
roared overhead and
while two grown men
looked up and drooled
the man in the Ford

Drove off and left them
to be schooled

i usually start
with the e string
at the bottom
number 1 and mostly
with a hum

and sometimes pick
the 2 fret on the d
then octavate
for fun

but often i just
twist the pegs
whichever way i feel
and let each string
sing out its name

while my fingers
slip and slide and
pluck and play
whatever tunes
will catch
the rhythm
of the day

His weapon is raised
pointing forward
still relaxed though
ready to attack even
while in retreat

His legs are coiled
bent at the knees
and keep him en garde
while his free hand
dangles freely
to maintain some
fleeting balance

Yet when he hears
"Allez!"
he sees no foe
and feels no threat
this time there is
only his own path

So he removes his mask
and looks ahead
then drops his weapon
uncoils and
begins

He fell in love
with her make-up

She fell in love
with his clothes

They cooed and they wooed
and they danced in a trance

Until they fell
out of love when

She removed her make-up
and he took off his clothes

I try to follow
my dreams
but I keep
waking up

So I try to do
what I need
but I keep
falling asleep

So I dream

I am a son of Eden
before the slaying of
brother by brother

And have let go
the arms of our
father and mother

I walk among
the beasts of the field
and the fruit of the ground

With only my will to follow
I take each step
toward my place
and my peace

Whether I lay
here or finally
in the East

Somebody must have known
the way I feel right now
as the still cool glow
of golden hour

wraps the trees
and settles on the grass
while I sit here in a
wicker chair looking out
from this porch that
somebody some time ago
must have built for
this moment

When I am embraced
by the incandescent sky
and passersby who escaped
the scorching fury of the day
to bask in the lazy breeze

and now
come down from porches
built for them some time ago
by somebody who must have known

Why is the sky so blue?
          To match your eyes

Why are roses so red?
          To match your lips

Why is the ocean so deep?
          To match our love

Why do cows pass so much gas?
          To many questions

Crayons almost always
draw outside the lines
and rub their colors
the right way

to make rainbows
from random strokes
of curves and
scattered lines

that somehow find
each other and
come to life
beyond the page

Shaky trees
stir the wind
and throw their
leaves into a spin
of sparks that
reach the clouds
before the ground

Their branches
are too restless
for climbing but
thrive as swings and
roosts for birds on wing

Like us
who found them
when our voyage
overwhelmed
our senses and direction
but not our spirit
as we let go
of what we left behind
and dreamed
of what we would become
before we took flight
anew

An Ace
in the hole
is just an
A-hole

against a pair
of twos

She was a fiction
of his imagination
and when she
beckoned he
would step out
sleepwalking

Destined for a fall
but not before
she vanished
in the waking hours

And then appeared
after the sun
before the moon
to catch him as
they lay down
beneath a blanket

of stars

There is no Central
in South Central anymore
just South LA incinerated
            at its core

What justice can there be
in violence defended
just because it's chained
to violence unrepented

No matter the degree
or source of blind-eyed
blame a match once-lit
will still result in flames

And shouts with rage
upon deaf ears cause
heels to dig with deeper
fear unlike the sound
of ebbing waves

That wash away
the tortured sand
and make new ground
where we can stand

I am a Beast
of immense proportions
with laser eyes and radar
ears my senses crystalline
escape distortion

And I have found
predators lying
in wait for you
I would have
eaten them but for
their bitter taste
so I fed them

To each other

I hear the
thumpetathumpetathumpeta
of chopper blades struggling
with an angry sky

And am somehow drawn
to a faceless stranger
once leanmeanandnineteen
lying in a field a world
away from where
he used to play
with ball and glove
on summer days

A rivulet of red
has pooled around him
and he is strangely numb
after cold and fear have
squeezed his ragged body
of whatever will remained
after his final battle

But he is not alone
for we are there
to hear his name
and see his face
and watch with him
the settling dust
reveal the evening sky

Along the far wall
beneath the outstretched
limbs of jacarandas
I see him walking
each morning at
his constant time
even when the sun still
half asleep hides behind
overburdened clouds

Sometimes he
waves and
sometimes he
smiles but
mostly he just
walks on looking
down the road to
where I wonder

And I only
watch him briefly
now and again
on days when
I am able and
on days when
I am not I know
that he is there

Until the day when
I look out and see
that he has reached
his destination traced
by constant footsteps
beneath the outstretched
limbs of jacarandas
along the far wall

He stood tall and straight
arisen from a heavy slumber
once begun as shelter
from an overwhelming deluge
of impossibilities

which had collapsed
into a prison of
his own construction

until his limbs
petrified by
abandonment



climbed his way
to vertical

leaning only to
balance his
steps

forward

I'm going to make
pancakes today
and I won't be grumpy
if they're lumpy

Because I'll know
what's in 'em
and how good they'll be
in me

In the early hours
when yesterday recedes
into today
and dreams begin
to slip away

The still black
of night fades into bluesilver
as distant drums
lay rhythm
for the marching sun

What value is there
in a promise
fulfilled with ease

Compared to one
that finds its way
to you in shreds
on hands and knees

deadlines missed
only know
what isn't done

but Progress
knows everything
and how far you've come

We talk in code
with words
that like chameleons
hide
where they appear

and send signals
with our fars
and nears
and gones
and heres

that in their way
are sometimes mixed
without knowing
when or why

And then we act
hesitant at times
and at times decisive
yet uncertain

in choreographed
but unrehearsed
steps
that turn
into each other
and phrase the
rhythm
of
our dance

Around floating
grains of sand kicked up
by the sprinting toes
of shoeless feet

There remains
a bursting glow
of the purest

Joy

"*******" to me
I was flattered
but not interested

So I just said
"No thanks"
and walked away