"History doesn't repeat itself...but it does rhyme." -Mark Twain*

Oh, America!

You didn’t stand a chance.

What, with a Mother so gluttonous
that the sun never set on her,

With a Father so shameless
that his name became synonymous with guilt,

The prodigal sheep
couldn’t stray too far.

In New World tantrums
you brewed Earl Grey bays,

You built your houses
on foundations of graves,

You pursued your happiness
through the sweat of slaves,

Behind white-picket fences
you dreamt away decades…

And then you were stirred,
by a bird through your window,
to find no one at your wake.

In the heart wrenching storm
eyes that see, cannot
through the dimming mist
of a dusk that unravels time.

Thunder clashes
as lightening bolts
representing our own
torment and fire.
The torment and fire
that rage within our
starving souls,
our starving souls.

How weak, yet powerful
is the hate
that tears through
our delicate flesh.
Wounded are we,
by the unmasked monster
that lives inside of us.

We are not
to let that guilt thrive;
we are not
to let our hate survive,
but to let the sunshine
that glows through our weeping eyes
be revived.
Smile
every once in a while,
for no storm
ever lasts forever.

Let our love be free,
and our hate be lost,
for we cannot afford
to let both
go unfounded.

In the end
of a heart wrenching storm
eyes that see, can
through the clearing mist
of a dawn that unravels time.

There comes a time, in a man's life;
when he should take, for him a wife.
To hold and cherish and to caress.
And lay ones head, upon her breast.
To show commitment, to the end.
To someone who is more than just a friend.
But no one can do, this alone.
Ask God for help, to build a home.
It makes no difference, which religions best.
Just ensure, your wedding's blessed.

An internal stutter
I see you again, for the first time.
The sting of reality’s slap
Makes my inside collapse.
You are here now –truth.
Did you ever have any feelings, --you probably never felt any
They have long since hit the road, if you did.
I think deep breaths will help clear my head.
Oh no.
I almost had forgotten,  
But I am instantly reminded of
Just how heavily you have always worn that enchanting scent.

I say…
You say, “I don’t know”
I say…
You say, “I am home for some unfinished business.”
Suddenly a blossom of hope strains,
Trying to reach the ray of sunshine that your words send.
But instinctly I know,
Those memories I have
Need to remain
Faded from the pain,
Never to be fully visible again.
I have faltered --A slip that will cost me much.
This moment of internal turmoil lasted only for a blink,
No more.

Blink- you have already turned.
You introduce me to a girl --the New girl.
You don’t know yet that she has a lover on the side, (is that my place to step in?)
Like you did with me.
Blink. Stutter.

Why do you always do these things here --at my job?
These meetings happen over and over again.
Since that faithful day a couple of months ago…
You broke my heart in your first breath
Your second breath you asked me to be your bestest friend.
How cute.
Blink.Stutter.DeepBreathe.

Now you bring girls to me to rate, compare.
I told you then,
I couldn’t handle something like this,
Can’t you understand that I need to heal first?
(I have to heal first)
How did you retaliate?
You said, “You have been the longest one night stand of my life.”
Stutter. Blink. Stutter.

My world collapsed with your words.
Now, you come to me to flaunt your new flings,
To rate, compare?
Stutter. Blink. Stutter.

She casts me a devious glance,
She knows who I was --who I am.
You turn your back.
The girl is still trying to cling to your arm.
She will be thrown to the wayside soon.

I lay on the floor,
A puddle.
You never look back --you never would show that kind of weakness.
Acid rain corrodes everything
I have tried to rebuild.
You never look back.
My heartbeat staggers
Back to regularity.
But my backbone disintegrates
Leaving me in a heap.

If only, if only, the blackbird cries.
I used to be love struck.
Now I’m just ****** up.

I feel a lot of pain
Like this world has tried to constrain
Me for so long
And I keep stretching….
I keep stretching my fingers against its elastic
Walls, but they only give so much
And then they bounce back into place
And my hands knock me in the face
With such a force as if the laws of motion
Are trying to tell me that life
Keeps going.
And I can’t escape.

No I can’t escape.

In a bubble of democracy
And coffee shops that only serve
Three sizes and if you want a muffin
That’s gonna be 2 bucks extra, but I only
Have a five dollar bill and I’d
Still like to be able to leave a tip.

In a box of learning and
All my pencils keep breaking
And everyone else is using
Those ****** mechanical
Ones and they won’t
Share with me.
And I fall behind because I keep
Getting up to sharpen mine
While they all keep listening.

I’m stuck in a perpetual world of progress
And the cogs that keep turning
Are grinding my soul into
A paste that I want to take and
Shove into the machine that
We all call life.

No I can’t escape.

Stuck in a world of
Endless ticking seconds
And I feel every
Single
One
While my syncopated heart beats
Continue to tell me I’m alive
But just barely.

I’m just barely holding on
In this world that
Waits for no one.
It won’t stop, even if
You beg the world clock
On your cell phone to quit keeping
Such a detailed measure of how
Far ahead of you everyone else
Is.

No we can’t escape.