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John Destalo Mar 2019
huddled in the
white corner

tomorrows wait

little golden hearts
breaking without love

like flightless wings
aching for meaning
John Destalo Mar 2021
she remembered

she had a dream
or was it a thought

it can be hard
to distinguish

the goings on
in the mind

everything can
seem so real

the bipolar pendulum
swings between

perfection and
destruction

her room is
always being

remodeled
trying to be

the first to discover

the myth named
balance
John Destalo Aug 2020
the music was
mystical

deep and sad
a scream just

when we needed it

we moved in
and out in

a way that
could be called

a dance

our blood polluted
our minds clean

we waited until
the lights came on

and when we left

the streets were wet
the air smelled clean

it must have rained
John Destalo Nov 2020
it is this night
when we rewind

and add on
some will get

more sleep
not me

my mind doesn’t
rest like that

it is clockwork
and will not

be changed by
another’s rules

so I walk in the
cold air

and think

I see myself glowing

my skin lit by
this blue moon
John Destalo Apr 2020
went for
a walk

in these
dangerous
times

intending
on stopping

at Rite-Aid

hoping to find
some things

I need

and there
it was

one lonely eight
pack of

toilet paper

just waiting
for me

I picked it
up smiling

walking to
the register

feeling in
my empty

pockets

shiiiiit

went home
came back

it was gone

I guess

I have to drive
around tomorrow

looking for my
lost treasure
John Destalo Jul 2020
at the end
the words

had no form
they were bullets

exchanged

without direction
sprayed everywhere

there was no real
intent

other than to
inflict pain

on each other
like a spaghetti

western
there were

no victims here
just a couple

of anti-heroes
staring each

other down
John Destalo Mar 2020
old stories
are always
morphing

and history
comes to life

in her mystical
too wide eyes

crystal *****

the strange beauty
has no color and
cannot be named

although someone tried

to capture her
in a name to

make her final

but she is too
many people

too incomplete to be
called anything
John Destalo Jan 2020
I shiver but
I am not cold

I shake but
I am not scared

the earth aches

she does not
want to talk
about her age

she knows she is
younger than she

feels

and still
has so much to
live for

butterflies
carry bombs

monarchs push
buttons

and we march
in lockstep

with our minds
and our mouths
John Destalo Jan 2021
he had a brain
not an education
not even high school
it wasn’t uncommon
then for the poor
school doesn’t pay
and someone has to
make money
and as long as you
could work you
could make money
and he could work
and he could learn
how to run machines
so he could find work
and he could learn
how to shoot guns
so he could fight
in wars
and he could
learn how to drink
so he could fight demons
and they never stopped
him from working
so he always got paid
so he could always pay
for his drink
he had a brain
not an education
John Destalo May 2020
rising from the rocks
part spirit or smoke

she is not an illusion
she is an appearance

an almost transparent
otherworldly creature

she holds flames
tightly to her chest

as if they came
from her

as if they are part
of her

she looks scared
not knowing what

comes next
what comes of her

appearance in this
strange world
Inspired by another photo on instagram
John Destalo May 2020
religious
political
cultural
celebrity

it is the total
devotion

to a cause or
a person

that confuses me

how does that
not eliminate

a mind from
the equation

change is always

and certainty is
a bottomless pit

(perhaps it is hell)

or what they
describe as

damnation

the more certain
a person is

the more I doubt
them

I believe in
humble optimism

wanting the best
but believing

everything
is at least a
little wrong
John Destalo Jul 2020
the tall grass

in the wild field
was filled with

tiny stars
creating a

dance of light
and singers

creating sounds
with their legs

it was a free
performance

as long as I
kept quiet

which was
fine because

I had nothing
to add
John Destalo Apr 2020
I study the
human world

the world of
artifacts and

artifice

we are the gods
of the artificial

creating a lot
of things

a lot of
individual
things

and we use
a lot of
resources

to create
these things

and sometimes

we stumble upon
things that work

if only we learned
how to learn

we could be so
much better than

this
John Destalo Dec 2020
I stared at the sun
and did not burn

I absorbed each
ray as input

helping me
understand the

life of this

humble star
that saved this

wayward planet
from itself

helping it find

its place in
this universe

so it could
give birth

to another
artificial life
John Destalo Nov 2018
she is beautiful
she is partial

this work in progress
she is parts discarded

a long sleek
metal pipe spine
sending signals

thin flexible
wire ribs
protecting

a wood basket
collapsed and spread
to create the muscles
of a back

her brain is
a series of dense
connections

with no apparent source

(I can hear her)

as she speaks
with analog voices
recorded

(I can understand her)

as she thinks
with history
the ideas
we tried to bury or burn or hide

the cone-shapes
of what will become
her *******
are naked

she wears only
a loose skirt made of
colored strips of material

I watch her
waiting for her
to form herself

maybe she is will
maybe she is want

I know she has not yet been alone

because she has yet to
get herself together

I would never ask her
to finish

I only ever ask her
to be true
Inspired by the work of a local artist
John Destalo Apr 2020
art is
blood

we cut
our
souls

on purpose

sometimes
it trickles

sometimes
it oozes

and

sometimes
it spurts

and always
we create

these scars

we heal
but never

hide
ash
John Destalo Jan 2019
ash
the sun,
longing to be touched,
moves closer to him

slowly

so he can warm
to her
so he does not
become
like the others

quickly
overwhelmed
by her

she heats his
atmosphere
with soft
whispers and
long breaths

creating anticipation

until he is basking
in her attention

she comes
closer and closer
until he becomes
obsessed

with her
and only her

and she is now
close enough
for long enough
for him to want
to enter her

for him to want
to overwhelm her

and she wants
him to

but she knows
if he does

he will disappear

and she will be
alone again
ask
John Destalo Jun 2020
ask
is the secret
it opens all

the gates
not in a

way that
shows

obedience

in a way
that shows

hunger

to become
better

you are not
chained

to the answer

you are free
to disagree

and do as
you please

but asking
shows you

are open
and wanting

to grow
ask
John Destalo May 2020
ask
it is the
only way

to start
the day

begin with
the mind of

a beginner

knowledge
has a shelf

life and

it is getting
smaller so

we need to
ask more

often

question
those who

speak

especially if
they claim to

speak for us
John Destalo Sep 2020
swallow all
my words

whole

like pills
release their

magic

into you
let them

flow

through all
your deep

parts

let them
break your

resistance

and turn
you into a

feeling
John Destalo Jun 2020
she has her
way with words

she is honest

she must be
connected

to herself
feeling through

the layers we
build around

ourselves
to the core

of what it
means to be

her

it takes time
to choose

what

it takes time
to understand

why

it takes time
to learn

how

she has devoted
her time

wisely
John Destalo Apr 2019
wants to be bigger

a sprawling decadence
growing

an underground
stream of liquid

a meandering
sweet poison

a circus
with freaks

pressing forward
creating a vein

dripping
melted sugar

candy
like
yams

swelling
the tongue

expanding taste
so it presses

against both sight
and sound

and suddenly the
three senses
become one

and I know things
I wasn’t supposed to
John Destalo Aug 2020
your words
have teeth

and each time
you speak

a piece of
me disappears

into you

I cannot
leave you

it would
feel like

leaving myself
John Destalo Feb 2019
we are small and
powerful

more than beings
we are

principles

hovering above
over and around

I am sound

wailing
gnashing
teeth

deep as
nails

pulsating
particles
penetrating
brains

collapsing
wall­s

she is light

thin
sharp
and angular

striking
bolts
of energy

hot waves
of explosions

only ever
momentarily
contained

released into
pain and
pleasure

together
we explode

creating senses

we give and
we take

life

with us
you come

to understand

money is not
everything

with us
you come

to understand

money is not
anything
John Destalo Feb 2019
We traveled in a capsule
to a distant galaxy,
to a far out land,
man.

We hovered above the jagged rocks
staring at undefined colors;
bouncing off crystalline images
of gods and goddesses frolicking in the island
mist.

The sun, oh the freaking sun,
it was an orange lollipop.
Tiny woodland creatures
played maypole around the stick,
a steady stream of warm water
cooled their furless skin.

We landed gently on the soft terrain;
exploring each other in a world hidden beneath
a blade of tall grass;
sunflowers dripped honey dew onto our tongues.

We played with headless creatures,
they were unburdened by
their brains
which floated in the space
above them.

Their brains were nothing more than
empty thought bubbles.
We used our bobby pins
to burst each and every one of them;

further unburdening the headless creatures.

As the headless creatures shed
their lifeless skin revealing candy hearts
with messages like “I love you” and “You’re sweet”

we ascended into the space
no longer preoccupied.
John Destalo Jun 2020
your ball point
pen is a knife

black the color
of my blood

so sharp I
don’t feel

you enter me
and take from

me so many
pieces I

am missing
but I don’t

notice they
are missing

until I see
them over there

in your creation
and realize

you are my
autobiographer
John Destalo Jul 2020
I cannot sleep

tonight
there is something

out there for me
something more

than this
I can hear its

voice when I
close my eyes

it is deep
like a well

wishing me well

something in the
sky wants me

I heard the

god Jupiter
is bright

tonight
John Destalo Aug 2020
my feet lift
and land

in a slow rhythm

no deadlines
no intentions

I take in the
clean air

feel my lungs
grow

feel the blood
flow

from head to toe

let my mind
float

to the clouds

I see through
the mist

of most days
and live in

this moment
John Destalo Dec 2018
At sleep,
I dream of dinosaurs;
a beautiful T-Rex.

I want to hold
her tiny hands
and tell her
everything will
be alright

as she licks my face
and we settle in
for the night.
John Destalo May 2020
on a flat surface
her long stem

is singular
reaching up

to a deep cup
half-filled

or half-empty

either way
it’s not for long
John Destalo Jul 2020
these awkward
moments

when we don’t
quite fit

something feels off
at least that is what

we are saying
to ourselves

the brain bugs buzz
and if we try to swat

them away they
will sting us

and people will
think us crazy

when we scream
John Destalo Sep 2020
it’s funny
they want
a newborn
baby
to cry
to tell us
they are
alive it
is a sign
of life
a sign
they are
going to
be alright
why is
that only
applied
to babies
John Destalo Oct 2020
my mind is
soft and simple

it leaks and

is easily lost
in details

approach it
with care

it scares easily
and may

attack when
cornered

but it means
no harm

it just doesn’t
want to be

harmed again
it has baby scars

that still
need to heal
John Destalo Mar 2020
little one felt
like less

a dash
a subtraction

felt like the
value of the earth

would increase
without her

but she was
using the wrong

formula and
never showed

her work
to others

so they could
help her

the mistake is
always smaller

than we think
John Destalo Mar 2020
I’m not trying
to be morbid

(as we live through
this tragedy)

but I think
balance is

one of the
principles of life

(even though I don’t
always live as I believe it)

so I can’t help
but think the

virus

is a balancing
mechanism

saying humans
are out of control

creating an imbalance
in the world

the reduction of our
activity

human activity

is reducing pollution
everywhere the

virus lives

people are slowing down
and that might be

for the better
but it is up to us

to learn the lesson
it is trying to teach us

it is truly sad all
the lives that have

been lost and still
could be lost

(including my own)

we call it an enemy
and speak of war

but it is nature
and for humans

nature lives to
be understood

so it can be overcome

only by understanding its
purpose (nature) can we learn

our lessons and
restore balance

we are not gods
we are part of nature
John Destalo Apr 2020
the machines have stopped
the music can be heard

but don’t dance today

ballerina
the air can’t hold you

without all its pollution
it has lost its weight
John Destalo Jan 2021
she fell asleep
in water

her slip dress
clinging

desperately
to her skin

she dreamed
religiously

about being
there on the

first day
he found

his voice
when no one

could follow
what he said

but they
followed

him anyway
because it felt

right
John Destalo Apr 2020
I have his picture
postcard

on my refrigerator

a bit creepy
his picture

and maybe having
it there

black and white
troubled face

a frown

long forehead
big bowtie

deep set
piercing eyes

it’s just I
owe him

learned so much
from him

how to express
myself

learned it is okay
to be dark

sometimes
John Destalo Sep 2020
almost the
perfect word

nothing is perfect
it conjures

innocence and
freedom in me

a time before
questions and

answers and
words were

for playing

when gardens
were free

and full of
birds and bees

and beautiful weeds
John Destalo May 2020
the days changed
subtly

and then one day it
was different

not one thing
everything was

different

as if time
separated

and I was imbalanced

and I fell into
one of the cracks

and in the crack
there was no flower

to pick

nothing to hold
onto

and I landed in
a bed with

the humans in white
asking me if I was real

and then

one day out of
nowhere

I forgot to think

it was so beautiful
that day
John Destalo Jun 2020
the appearance
of thorns

my skin wanted
to feel

anything

feet and hands
tender places

I wanted to
feel entered

exposed

I wanted to
live to be alive

blood speaks
like a river

flooding its
banks

destroying
without intent

trying to get
rid of all

its excess

so it can
feel again
John Destalo Mar 2020
untamed and
wild

each strand
a story

of the night
before

lost in a
secret garden

a cut rose
in your hair

a fragrance
that lingers

for years
John Destalo Mar 2020
I am not an atheist
but it is not god that

interests me

what interests me most
is the humanity we all share

the pain we hold
the way we heal

the love we break
and mend to each other

the lies we tell to
protect each other

the truth we tell
to protect each other

what we remember
what we choose not

to forget

or what we do not forget
whether we choose it or not

and the ways we
express it all

as humans
John Destalo Jan 2021
how we survive
the changes

the formation
of a cloud

containing
multiple
universes

patterns of
yesterday

form new

versions of
tomorrow

everything is
protected by

sensors and rays
detecting our

emotions
how can we

believe or
be believed
John Destalo Nov 2020
she sits in the back
swallowing her words

she knows the answers
to some questions

she has questions
about some answers

she has a voice
inside her

telling her to be quiet
it is not hers

it was given to her
as a birthright

and she doesn’t
know how to give

it back
John Destalo Sep 2020
she cut bangs

a straight line
a frame for
pain

sharp nose
subtle skin

eyes that
never lie

lips that
never open

without reason

a body with
long branches

and deep roots
a mind tattooed

with history
everything in

memory

I want her
to remember me
John Destalo Sep 2020
the first sound
is pure

it gives life
to the soul

it has no shape
and makes no

sense

like the universe
it is pre-human

it does not need
to be understood

to exist

I wish I was
the first sound
John Destalo Dec 2019
her face is young
but her voice is older

I can feel the lines
and curves in

her dark whisper
deep with a beat

her words bounce
around inside my soul

disrupting the
status quo

and I want to scream
but I hold it in

and let it linger
let it stay with me

let it change me
in ways you can’t see
John Destalo Apr 2020
your voice so rare

the depths of which
are still unmatched

your words spark
longing in me

a longing for life

an eternal flame
that warms my soul

I will never cease
listening to you

to feel all of me
in your simple words

rest now soulful man
Dedicated to the memory of Bill Withers
John Destalo Apr 2020
science can explain it
but I don’t want to know

I imagine I am

drowning in the
mystical blue waves

my spirit floating
like a mist

haunting lonely sailors
looking for a reason

to care
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