I want my own planet
or maybe a little moon
a bite-sized place to call my own
I’d just sit and look into space
if I had my own planet
it would be totally quiet
‘cause I like it that way
and you can make your own rules
on your own personal planet
and it would be ridiculously tidy
so that I could find everything
right when I need it
and there would be nobody
to make a mess of it
and I could sleep all I want
‘cause I don’t need to do anything
and I could go anywhere
on my personal planet
no one would be there to stop me
because if other people went there
it wouldn’t be my own planet anymore
I’d wish for my planet in a heartbeat
so I could do whatever I want
but then again
having a planet to myself
might get a little lonely sometimes
so maybe
just maybe
you could come to my personal planet too

my heart’s in a bottle
out to sea
carried off by those waves
high and low
of a looming tempest
twas once free
it now lies in that prison
and I know
that I had placed it there
upon my first glimpse of you
beaming bright
like an alluring beacon
bearing flash
only to forecast crags
so take flight!
and steer from rocky threat!
it will crash
on that ruinous coast
with no other haven
that will bring happiness

this whole world is beautiful
I’ve seen it with my own bright eyes
everything I’ve fallen in love with
oceans that stretch forever
and gleam iridescent azure
while mighty waves crest into the sky
forests that climb overhead
and all the life climbing with them
high on bursting verdant canopies
those scarlet-golden sunsets
cherished only in a moment
but held close to the heart forever
and I’ve heard it sing to me
countless voices singing one song
every single one a unique verse
distant calls of mockingbirds
each note made of avian love
sung to each other and the whole world
faint howling of coyotes
ferocious things of teeth and claws
a black backdrop for a vivid world
whispers of lovers at night
promises of their life yet lived
together with hands locked and eyes set
and I must say i’ve felt it
every single thing strikes a chord
each familiar path or trail unblazed
all of the places I’ve been
fabled cities and fresh retreats
give a sense of time: passed or ahead
all of the stories I’ve read
words by Hemingway or Dumas
spin worlds in both romance and the real
all of the people I’ve met
doctors, baristas, and students
each touched me with their own perspective
the world is beautiful, true
but when I look up to the sky
I know beauty isn’t just on Earth
when I see stars and stardust
floating in galaxies above
the whole universe looks beautiful

surely that was a demon
that stood at the gates to our town
reeking horrible noxious odors
the rancid body bubbling
darting eyes filled with avarice
and jaws grinning, panting, consuming
hindsight screams to shut it out
leave the town in sanctuary
but tar glimmered gold in that moment
and in that myobic blink
the gates were flung open by greed
but what entered was endless hunger
death left uncounted in wake
this creature of sludge oozes on
ravaging without regard or care
in this town of simple folks
where we embrace our visitors
without the casting of prejudice
since the ancient days of myth
many gods and earthly spirits
have paid patronage to our quaint town
we celebrate with great joy
the whims of each visitor god
and we accept their gifts gratefully
but this god brings about death
its hunger rages unshaken
it smothers and constricts indistinct
the people must all be blind
to drink and cheer on merrily
while the toxic creature grows immense
it gives nothing but sickness
but I’ve never seen such worship
laurels left to rot on the putrid beast
and people brought to their knees
out of their frenzied devotion
to this annihilator of life
this must surely be our end
jumping into the wretched maw
like a moth dashes itself to flame
one day all life will be dead
consumed by this malignant god
when the whole world is wrapped in plastic

I’m sick of this
melancholy
genocide
****
deforestation
feeling like I could
do something about it
terrorism
fascism
despotism
when I’m just a man
halfway around the world
Ferguson
police abuse
riots
and feeling alone
in a world full of people
racism
sexism
income gap
crises just replace each other
like a revolving door
did you know Manson’s still alive
dreaming of Helter Skelter?
crusade
slavery
apartheid
I am so sick of it!
if I just go back
to living my life
and forget about it
ignorance
apathy
privilege
would anyone really
be hurt or even care?
……
NO
No
no
this is not me
I am melancholic
because of this world
but I can do something
because this world exists
and this world matters
I am small here
but I exist
and I matter
so I can do something
even if it’s
insignificant
I swear
I
can
do
something

mist covered us as
we sat ‘round the fire
beaten broken men
haunted by the shade of war
the looks we exchanged
were of sullen depth
from killing, dying
for men foreign to
this field: holy and hellish
the commander stood
his immense stature
dwarfed by bitterness
and then he bellowed:
“we have won today
because we are still alive
glory is for kings
our crux lies on life
and death to others
dead men cannot boast
and earth will hold them
keeping them always
but we have survived today”
our bayonets fell
and our heads hung low
at his sordid words
that clung to the air
floating like a ghost
phantom of the moors
staying as we fade to death

down where the river bends
standing upon the hill
is that old cathedral
still tending to its flock
and the bells ring and they boom
and they sound thunderously
a roaring call for penance
echoing among sinners
the warm message remains
set on the oaken door
preaching the word of love
to crowds taken by hate
but those days are now long past
priests were traded for spiders
and dust owns gilded altar
ill-gotten gains neglected
the chapel, long empty
still hungers intensely
hungry for confessions
and still hungry for gold
so the belfry resonates
summoning poor, wretched souls
in the grasp of the abyss
to empty what they once held
the men do not hold hate
they lost that long ago
but they neither hold love
for that was robbed also
these sad men hold nothing
the cathedral lies empty
filled only with hollow men
yet its never satisfied
so tolls always fly under gray skies
from the Cathedral of St. Matthew

how do you like that,
alchemist?
you turned lead into gold
but it’s not that shiny
is it?
maybe your flask was
rose-tinted
things didn’t go as expected
did they?
you could’ve been happy
if you never knew
at the end of the journey lies
absolutely nothing
how do you like that,
lover-boy?
you won her heart
you’re her one and only
but how do you like
the public sarcasm?
the beratement at home?
what about the “love-taps”?
“you just can’t do anything
right”
that’s the dialogue
right?
we call that abuse
you got what you wanted
but you didn’t really know her
did you?
how do you like that,
young man?
you learned the ways of world
how the real predators
and boogeymen
are just people
just like you and me
you’re safe now
with that truth
but do you feel that?
you lost something
didn’t you?
you feel empty inside
but before you rant about
darwinist suits
corporate scumbags
******* shockjocks
just remember kiddo
you did this to yourself
they didn’t take it
you gave it up
the innocence of a child
you got to the age when
your eyes show you
the truth you need
not the lies you want
but look at you now
maybe you really need the lies
sure they might
hurt you
chide you
scorn you
tell you you’ll never make it
but at least you wouldn’t be so blue
and the world wouldn’t be so blue
the truth
the real truth is
you’ve got to see the roses in front of you
but remember the thorns just beyond
sometimes you’ll get lucky
and miss the thorn
but not every time
so don’t let your hopes fly too high
but if your fear holds you
that rose will stay a distant dream
so why not just go for it
with a smile on your face
and just see what happens?

hey there
magic man
go on
tell the future
the people need you
tell ‘em what they wanna hear
tell ‘em that they’re safe
tell ‘em what they’re sure they already knew
tell ‘em that in the end it actually matters
go ahead
magic man
read out of your magic book
make ‘em pray out of it
and make ‘em pay for it
teach ‘em that
there’s good
and there’s evil
that they’re good
and they’re not evil
others are evil
and that’s not good
come on
magic man
make a miracle
tell the blind man
to open his eyes
tell the injured man
to stand up
tell the deaf man
anyone can listen
if they have the money
who can blame ‘em?
your words feel good
magic man
‘cause anyone
can know anything
and they don’t even need
to think about it
why should they?
the answers are already right there
everything that ever was
everything that ever will be
written in that magic book
really too bad
that you’re the only one
that knows how to read it
why not?
magic man
you can make
anything
rhyme with
anything
if you say
“it is”
then
it is
so why not
keep up the game?
they’ve got
plenty to spend
and you’ve got
all the time in the world
go on
magic man
sell ‘em answers
so they’ll be vindicated
sell ‘em miracles
so they’ll believe
sell ‘em immortality
so they’ll be comfortable
sell ‘em everything
‘cause
that’s what good businessmen do

tonight is a weird night
when all the weird people come out
and they do their weird things
in the streets of this weird city

tonight is the night
that eyes appear in the woods
following your every move
then vanish faintly

tonight is the night
that strange lights blink afar
and the noise beats around you
rising in eerie crescendo

tonight is the night
that ashes rise
and waltz in the bonfire like
Romanovs

tonight is the night
when you really start to hear things
a cat’s shriek THEN THE SOUND OF A ******
………...then dead silence

tonight is the night
when everything is weird
and everyone is weird
and I’m weird
and that’s alright

tonight is a weird night
when all the weird people come out
and they do their weird things
in the streets of this weird city
and that’s alright