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

The sound of children suffering from some far off shore in my ear

The tears of first light shed a certain sadness as I listen for a sparse hope

But all that transmits is an echo of fear...

As I begin to lose
my sweet memory
The flotsam and jetsam
and ephemery.

The regrets, the injustice,
the pain and despair
The resentments, the insults,
the hurts and the fear.

The timeless reminders
of not good enough
That pale yellow post it:
“Hasn’t got the right stuff.”

That time that you said
what no one would say
“I don’t really love you
now please go away.”

Most of it gone now,
I can’t quite remember
It whispers to me
from a foggy December.

Am I better off for it?
Perhaps in some way
Have I gained from the loss?
It’s a bit hard to say.

I need no longer sit here
and artfully languish
In all the sad fury
of my piquant anguish.

Like my father before me
I’m one of those old timers
Reaping the benefits
of beneficent Alzheimer’s.

To Whom it May Concern,

My blood begins to burn
and I’m compelled to spurn
the current plans to turn
our mascot to a worm.

The members from my firm
cannot stay taciturn
when our alumni learn
that strangers overturned
the past we had governed
because they’re all stubborn,
seeking to be modern
and spread, exploit and churn
their folly and their germs.

I urge you to discern
the consequence you’ll earn
unless you can confirm
our legacy long-term.
We will not adjourn
until it’s reaffirmed
that history is stern
and keeps our old pattern.

If you do not concur
and submit to our terms,
then surely you will yearn
for courtesy interns
as funding will downturn
and we will watch you squirm
like spiders in an urn
at the point of no return.

Sincerely, Dr. Kern

A glorious ship sets sail,
Robust engines begin to fire.
A billowing cloud marks their trail
Whisking along, climbing higher.
Soon to find they’re moving frail,
Over-capacity, the engines tire.
Panic… passengers want to bail
Before the ships fatigue is dire.
“The ships too big to fail”,
Assured the disguised liar
Over the radio in a voice so stale,
He sold the tickets to every buyer.
Acting like there’s no need to worry
The crew continues out to sea,
News on board spreads in a hurry,
The passengers whisper quietly.
The crewman shouting, “all aboard!”,
They look around, only to see,
Transport of the vaulted horde
As their count exceeds capacity.
For profit loomed so temptingly,
Blighted the soul in greedy begrime,
Of that owner who sits at home,
The culprit in this unwatched crime
As the magistrate declared he’s free to roam.
Back on the ship, the haul is flooding,
So abrupt, they had no time.
Sinking further to the depths and sure to drown,
They let out a last and desperate horn to chime,
As water rising—muffled the sound.
“We’ll do everything we can!”,
Exclaims the man who’s pockets lined,
Pays off investigators to seal his plan,
A freak accident without blame to find,
Invisible strings puppeteer,
The death of thousands into happenstance,
Foul play at the hands of a financier,
Onto his next venture without a second glance.
Perhaps one day a corrected fate
Will rise in the eyes of history,
And right the legacy of our current state,
Shedding light on the darkness of the shadow of inequality.

everyone says
strong bootstraps
beget rewards
while leagues
of craftsmen
struggle

everyone follows
another trend
overboard while
Davy Joneses
hold their
breath

everyone feels
their sin
beside beggars
with hands
made of
*******

everyone thinks
job creators’
heroic strength
will someday
trickle down
decency

but

everyone knows
when something
is heavy
you lift
from the
bottom

those eyes are scarred
from damaged winds
on pavement singed

rent scenes recite
a diatribe
how do you live

holes dirtied leak
torn shadows sigh
they shelter filth

you cull the heat
until dice turns
to excise rage

with scalpel sharp
reprieve in sight
a poor man's

prize
----
©