green locker
a new violin
barely fits


grass on knees sun too bright laugh


rush hour
crossing the street
she spills her coffee


discovery of a pond
she killed a frog
that fast

moving day—
children pick
at the curbside

all hearts are filled with horror and with dread
we've hit the boundary of human reach
out here in the republic of the dead

there's no necessity to get ahead
once we have heard the words of the last speech
all hearts are filled with horror and with dread

for this we struggled long to earn our bread
and bowed low as the vile old friars preach
out here in the republic of the dead

where are are equal in the weight of lead
but none will listen as the poor beseech
all hearts are filled with horror and with dread

at every sound that penetrates the head
while silent men walk up and down the beach
out here in the republic of the dead

where none dare speak and all the good are fled
and what we learnt no one could ever teach
all hearts are filled with horror and with dread
out here in the republic of the dead

how the world
is in god's eye
is handled,
the painsufferingevil,
when bloodsalted tears
roll freely from
my single atom
of reality
i've no idea.

4:17 AM
Robbie's studying Japanese
and cooking bacon

If the time ever comes
when human touch
is taken from you

(because you are
sick or in solitary
or castaway or...)

you will understand
how much
you need it:

your skin will ache
as a riverbed
cracks

for
want
of rain;

you will never take it
for granted
again

take this as a warning
college life is like
treading a tight rope
yeah it's easy street
but consequences
are put in the back of mind
and getting black out drunk
on a thirsty Thursday
with your boys
is fun
but Friday morning
with four cigarettes left
from the pack you bought the night before
isn't fun
and neither are lonely hangovers
and it's a slippery *****
to say that
you aren't an alcoholic
until you're done with college
so take this as a warning
go to college
and have the time of your life
but just make sure
that you don't lose yourself

to preach insanity
screaming blanks in the streets
twisted limbs
hang from twisted bodies
malnourished and dangerous
the edge people
they live life
balanced on their tiptoes
in a bathtub
choking on their sins
sins which they didn't commit
an old rocking chair
sits in a wooded clearance
forgotten and mossy
hopes and dreams
stripped layer by layer
until the marrow is all gone
to preach madness
that's what they want from me
to call us mad men
but there's no such thing
there
is no
such thing