I had
a knife to my neck for breakfast
a punch with a crunch for lunch
but I ate ***** looks for dinner
thats how I knew
I was the winner
and when I went up for dessert
never once did they see me hurt
thats how they knew I was a bruiser
and they were backing a loser

Death
is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only
slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are
you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is
untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other,
that we are still. Call me by the old famuiar name. Speak
of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no
difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity
or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes
that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray
for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it
always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without
the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever
meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and
unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible
accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out
of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, some-
where very near, just round the comer. All is well.
-Unknown

"You're not one of them", he says
"I can tell, I got this GIFT, see?"
The relief clear on his animated face
Too twitchy, too... off
"They watch us, you know?
They got those satellites and ****
They'll read your ID through your pocket
Then they gotcha!"
I nod, only mildly alarmed
And throw down my smoke.
Step on it to make sure it's out
"Only you can prevent forest fires"
A childhood echo
He picks it up
Looks wildly around
"Your DNA is on that! Epithelials!
I seen it! I seen it on that CSI!"
I mumble something
His eyes narrow. He laughs too hard.
"Kidding man, I'm just kidding"
He skitters off, like an ant missing 4 legs
I look up, and nod to the ****** on the roof.

~JNc
9-15

I lie here, broken,
Or so it seems.
My life half over
Unraveled seams
The dreams I had
For you, for me
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy
Like shadows flee
Among the light
My dreams remain
Just out of sight
Night after night
I lie awake
And wonder
Which wrong path I've taken
Awaken, bleary eyed
And tired
****, I'm late again
Got fired
All in search of dreams

~J Nc
9-15

This corner I'm in
I painted myself into it
But the difference between
Us
And Them
Is that we have no problem leaving our footprints....

~J Nc
9-'15