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Mar 2022 · 4.5k
Saturday Night
Ron Gavalik Mar 2022
You are the elixir
of overworked men
a companion
for lonely souls
and a boxing ring
for the fighting spirit
Your camaraderie
leads to immediate
regret
but such pain
forces peace
in the new day
Feb 2022 · 1.1k
Spawning Descent
Ron Gavalik Feb 2022
The last generation
asked for success.
Our generation
asked to be left alone.
This generation
asks only to mitigate
the pain.

–Ron Gavalik
Jan 2022 · 188
polyphony
Ron Gavalik Jan 2022
if we abandoned
the pursuit of quick cash
and instead
fortified dignity
with the rusted remnants
of ancestors
workers would know
justice
they would feel
joy

–Ron Gavalik
Nov 2021 · 356
Wait For Me
Ron Gavalik Nov 2021
I poured the last
of the whiskey
into a glass
and then walked out.
It waits for me
atop the stove
as another chance
after the failures
of labor
and love.

–Ron Gavalik
Sep 2021 · 964
Walking Dead
Ron Gavalik Sep 2021
sometimes
sidewalks appear
as graveyards
full of open mouths
and closed eyes
beauty goes unnoticed
and love
unfulfilled

–Ron Gavalik
Just a thought.
Jul 2021 · 806
Maybe Tomorrow
Ron Gavalik Jul 2021
The poet
regularly battles the mob
and displays those scars
carved into his heart.
The poet
is despised in his time
and admired
by the generations
he never meets.

–Ron Gavalik
Feb 2021 · 720
Young Impotence
Ron Gavalik Feb 2021
Sometimes I'm the boy
who stood helpless
on my grandmother's porch
looking down the hill
upon Hell's fire
and the black plumes
that pushed men
into early graves

–Ron Gavalik
Feb 2021 · 204
Vapor Clouds
Ron Gavalik Feb 2021
In the first pandemic
of the 21st Century,
there's nothing to do,
but get drunk on well bourbon,
scream at the memories
of ****** gone astray,
and write poetry
on cheap paper.

–Ron Gavalik
Apr 2020 · 171
Disagree to Agree
Ron Gavalik Apr 2020
She said,
‘You really don’t know
how to love.’
I disagreed.
The next one said,
‘You don’t express love.’
I disagreed.
The last one
didn’t say anything.
She just walked.
Now, I agree.

–Ron Gavalik
Feb 2020 · 557
Sunday Reflections
Ron Gavalik Feb 2020
On Sundays, I drink
more coffee and more whiskey.
Reflections on the previous week
provide for accurate predictions
about the week ahead.
Books and snacks go down easily.
Attaining clear focus
helps the writer observe society
to build the words
that raise spirits
and raze evil.

–Ron Gavalik
Jan 2020 · 420
Gray Twilight
Ron Gavalik Jan 2020
At dusk, under gray skies,
whiskey thoughts wander
in the lust of lost hopes.
Memories surface
of forgotten love
and the memorable rage
of injustice.
We are the chaos.
We are the solution.
We are the beginning
and the end.

–Ron Gavalik
Jan 2020 · 850
Tender Injections
Ron Gavalik Jan 2020
Bourbon whiskey
and dark chocolate
are tender injections
of love
for the people
who are not
in love

–Ron Gavalik
Jan 2020 · 128
Pockets of Wisdom
Ron Gavalik Jan 2020
Cracks in sidewalks
are dark pockets in the Earth
that contain forgotten histories
of workers and parents,
students and dreamers.
Every time we step over a crack,
a charge of energy from the past
enters our souls.
That energy informs us,
our perspectives,
our judgement,
our wisdom.

–Ron Gavalik
Jan 2020 · 146
Regain Yourself
Ron Gavalik Jan 2020
Many Twitter profiles
have statements that read:
“My tweets do not speak for my employer.”
I suggest revising those statements to read:
“My employer does not speak for me.”
After all, who is the master
of your 80 years on this Earth?
I'm rooting for you.

–Ron Gavalik
Dec 2019 · 225
Grasp and Pull
Ron Gavalik Dec 2019
When the proles see in reds,
the rich lose their heads.
Bathed in the blood of villains,
workers dance and laugh,
they **** and love.
****** are redeemed.
Books are embraced.
Drink is consumed.
The blue-green Earth,
after such a long abuse,
is finally reclaimed.
Dec 2019 · 851
privilege
Ron Gavalik Dec 2019
I’m a *****
who sells himself
for the privilege of food.
Existing in your world
of surface beauty
and splendor,
that’s the only payday
I’ve ever known.

–Ron Gavalik
Dec 2019 · 503
Vacuum
Ron Gavalik Dec 2019
You have more power
than you realize
The problem is
you're more worried
about gossip
and hatred of neighbors
Therefore you stay apart
and never come together
That power is lost

–Ron Gavalik
Nov 2019 · 1.5k
Quiet Satisfaction
Ron Gavalik Nov 2019
Sometimes we crush a bug
in self-defense.
Other times we crush bugs
in annoyance.
However, there are times
when we go out of the way
to step upon a lesser life form.
Such ******* arouses
a sadistic pleasure
we cannot savor or even admit
in civilized society.

–Ron Gavalik
Nov 2019 · 365
Be Upright
Ron Gavalik Nov 2019
Keep your back straight
when walking in the rain.
You'll have a better view
of the frightened rats
who scurry for the salvation
you've already found
within yourself.

–Ron Gavalik
Nov 2019 · 228
It adds definition
Ron Gavalik Nov 2019
Sidewalks and lovers
grow discolored
from unsuspected joys,
tormenting stampedes,
and the spilled blood
they endure.
It happens slowly
over time.

–Ron Gavalik
Nov 2019 · 304
Punkdos
Ron Gavalik Nov 2019
When I was young,
only the courageous
women colored their hair
pink or green.
They risked job security
and they ignored
the conformed standards.
That strength of spirit
turned me on
far more than **** or legs.
That hair is now mainstream,
so I pretend courage
is mainstream.

–Ron Gavalik
Oct 2019 · 662
No Love
Ron Gavalik Oct 2019
...from behind the counter,
she smiled at me in a deeper way.
Her eyes told stories
about ecstasy and the prison
of family life.
So, I went back to the table,
drank the coffee,
and I tried to exorcise
the temptations
through words.
The typer has always been
my most loyal lover.

–Ron Gavalik
Oct 2019 · 143
Echo
Ron Gavalik Oct 2019
The same old scents
never change.
They make me laugh
into the steel sink.
I do it for the echo.
I like the echo.
It proves
I am still here
for now.

–Ron Gavalik
Oct 2019 · 267
Untitled
Ron Gavalik Oct 2019
Celebrate charity
Pursue justice
Never confuse
one for the other

–Ron Gavalik
Sep 2019 · 142
Keep Pumping
Ron Gavalik Sep 2019
I may never understand
you. For certain,
you will never understand
me. That’s okay.
It’s the mystery, baby
that keeps the heart pumping.
I can’t think of another reason
to allow the blood to remain
in my veins.

–Ron Gavalik
Sep 2019 · 465
The Gist
Ron Gavalik Sep 2019
The value of food
is completely unknown
until the hunger sets in.
I can say the same
for love.

–Ron Gavalik
Sep 2019 · 206
Death by Stink
Ron Gavalik Sep 2019
Old lady perfume
wafts through the café.
The smell of wildflowers
rolled through baby powder
baffles me. That scent
is an asexual surrender
of life and love.
That stink is the active ******
of the will to go on.
It is malevolence
in the wind.

–Ron Gavalik
Sep 2019 · 601
Slide Right
Ron Gavalik Sep 2019
If you can't spit fire,
swallow hard,
and then slide out of the way.
Words and time
are far too valuable
to be wasted
by the amateurs
of life.

–Ron Gavalik
Sep 2019 · 171
Humans Need
Ron Gavalik Sep 2019
Humans need
less inspiration and more answers,
less hope and more truth,
less spectacle and more words,
less *** and more love.
We need to listen and understand,
drink water, eat good food,
laugh, kiss, and weep
until a long sleep.

–Ron Gavalik
Aug 2019 · 308
Blood Sport
Ron Gavalik Aug 2019
Dating is a blood sport
where one must scrape for life.
If the match is won,
you help each other limp
together as champions
through the struggles of time.
If the game is lost,
you stare out windows
alone, always wondering
about the life
that could have been
had you triumphed.

–Ron Gavalik
Aug 2019 · 251
It’s on the wind...
Ron Gavalik Aug 2019
When the poetry doesn't work,
don't sweat it.
Get up from the chair
and go for a walk,
pet a strange cat,
befriend a blind man
on the sidewalk.
Few items are made of paper,
and the best poetry
is not printed on it.

–Ron Gavalik
Aug 2019 · 370
On the Lookout
Ron Gavalik Aug 2019
When I had joy,
I didn't know it.
When the joy left,
that's when I knew.
I've been trying
to get the joy back.
That work is a struggle.
There's sweat and strife.
Still, I'm optimistic.
The joy will return.

–Ron Gavalik
Jul 2019 · 187
Experts
Ron Gavalik Jul 2019
If you seek an education,
go to a university
or a trade school.
If you want to learn,
talk to the bums, the ******
the immigrants in fields.
They’re the experts
on humanity.
Their wallets are as empty
as their stomachs,
but their souls
are dipped in gold.

–Ron Gavalik
Jul 2019 · 311
Shielded
Ron Gavalik Jul 2019
I stood in a pool of ****
in front of the ******
after watching a beautiful film
about a man who gets the girl.
Irrational tears clouded my vision
and blocked the putrid scents
of real life.
My body wanted me
to live in that story
a little longer.
That was nice.

–Ron Gavalik
Jun 2019 · 174
Run Currents, Run
Ron Gavalik Jun 2019
I was born in a room
on a triangle of land and soot
between three rivers.
Just like the rivers,
I’ve been running
toward the fire
and from the smoke
all my days.
I’ll let you know
when I make it.

–Ron Gavalik
Jun 2019 · 434
Secretions
Ron Gavalik Jun 2019
At 6:00, I drank
to remember,
to swim in the nectar
of consequences secreted
over a lifetime.
At midnight, I drank
to forget.

—Ron Gavalik
May 2019 · 290
Breathe, Struggle, Live
Ron Gavalik May 2019
In the pursuit of truth
and justice and growth,
we cannot celebrate our angels
without acknowledging our demons.
Each of us are flawed humans.
We are magnificent disasters.
In our mutual struggles to breathe
and survive a mad world,
every step we take
and every word we speak
is a work of art.

–Ron Gavalik
May 2019 · 148
On Demand
Ron Gavalik May 2019
Sitting in the late night bar,
I fingered a bottle cap while
another tragic love story
streamed through my head.
The light from a beer sign
reflected off the whiskey glass
to form a shimmering horizon
that gently cradled the cap.
Thats when I realized
sunrises can happen
whenever and wherever
we need them.

—Ron Gavalik
Apr 2019 · 168
Standby Mode
Ron Gavalik Apr 2019
I really don't know
how many glasses
of whiskey I've drained
or how many hours
I've stared out windows
while waiting
for the world to awaken
from its drunken slumber
and begin to improve.

—Ron Gavalik
Mar 2019 · 1.1k
In waiting...
Ron Gavalik Mar 2019
Back in the small town,
we hung around the gas station
in the afternoons and at night.
We drank cartons of iced tea
and laughed about nothing.
We watched others live
the lives we wanted,
but weren't quite ready
to begin.

—Ron Gavalik
Mar 2019 · 738
Daily Realities
Ron Gavalik Mar 2019
Inside the café, a cute artist
with blackened fingertips
sketched in her notebook.
A handsome boy took the next table
and waited patiently for a chat.
Sketching with a fervor,
oblivious to her surroundings,
that artist and I shared a truth.
Imagination is often preferable
to the daily realities
****** upon us.

–Ron Gavalik
Mar 2019 · 208
Scorched
Ron Gavalik Mar 2019
I've grown so tired
of hating you,
but I’ve hated you so long,
it's all I know.
After the foul odor of death fades,
fresh air will replace
that which we cannot change.
Staring out the window,
my chest tightens from dread.
The pollution we’ve spewed
may have scorched the soil
where new trees must grow.

–Ron Gavalik
Feb 2019 · 218
every day
Ron Gavalik Feb 2019
Create art
every day
If you cannot
then make just one
piece of art
which is the work of life
Make it imperfect
and worthy of memory
every day

–Ron Gavalik
Feb 2019 · 266
Stumble Beautifully
Ron Gavalik Feb 2019
There are people who love
what you do.
Others will always hate
what you do.
The majority have no idea.
Those are the souls
I observe on sidewalks
and in restaurants.
They are confused, angry, lost.
They stumble beautifully
through the fire.

-Ron Gavalik
Feb 2019 · 269
Freedom Revealed
Ron Gavalik Feb 2019
Laying on my back
in the alley,
drunk and sick,
I gazed at the blanket of stars.
The cosmos above revealed
itself as an endless sea
of lost hopes
and sacred prayers.
In that moment,
I was free.

-Ron Gavalik
Jan 2019 · 163
Truthful Rejoinder
Ron Gavalik Jan 2019
The poets in the digital age
hunger for constant approval.
As cowards, they hide in fear
behind the mob's outrage.
In a constant search for validation
within shallow mud puddles,
every penned word betrays
the pursuit of truth in art.
Lost in a fog of redactions,
I just don't know
if these poets will ever find
truth again.

-Ron Gavalik
Jan 2019 · 461
Unknown Source
Ron Gavalik Jan 2019
Sometimes the sadness
comes like a sucker punch
to the back of the head.
The assailant disappears
into the crowded street,
and we are stuck
nursing a painful wound,
never really knowing
its reason or cause.

-Ron Gavalik
Jan 2019 · 795
Acidic Reveal
Ron Gavalik Jan 2019
There’s a psychopath
at every job, a guy ready
to talk your ear off about socks
or a woman who admits
she has a fetish for hairy *****.
I met them in restaurants,
on construction sites,
and in bland offices.
As time went on,
the psychos disappeared.
I mentioned this to a coworker.
He stared at me cold,
the way I once looked at a guy
who went on and on
about his ****** addiction.

-Ron Gavalik
Jan 2019 · 192
The Snatch Life
Ron Gavalik Jan 2019
Murderers and thieves
lurk around every corner.
The honest ones use weapons
to get what they want.
The others allow selfishness
to slowly manipulate weak men
into the madness of poverty.
All remaining strength
sapped away, the defeated
pray for death.

-Ron Gavalik
Jan 2019 · 550
Something Else
Ron Gavalik Jan 2019
The guy who wore a scarf at the bar,
he chose not to write
because he's ‘no Hemingway.’
I told him no one stops me.
Memories of Ginsberg, Frost, Thomas,
and even Bukowski's drunken ghost
make me feel at home in my words.
That didn't change the guy's mind,
so I told him to drink up
and do something else.

-Ron Gavalik
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