Acme: Poems

Acme Apr 2020

We will always find life like weeds and
cockroaches and leaves in spring. Nothing
stays dead. A tree grows in Brooklyn and
hope stays alive in this dead heart of mine.

We're Even

Acme Mar 2020

We're Even

You broke my heart then
I broke your heart later.
On death's bed do we ask
why love even keeps score?

We Regret to Inform You

Acme Apr 2020

We Regret to Inform You

We've read your submission and don't
have a place for it in our magazine
at this time. We look forward to future
submissions and wish you well.

We have billions of submissions and
can't possibly read them all so we
count on poets in print to fill pages so
the rest of you must busk for change.

We Were Here

Acme Jun 2020

We Were Here

I left what mark I could.
A tree in the meadow has
our hearts carved on it.
We cut us and shared blood.
That was a century way back.
Now we're dust and forgotten.
Maybe we're stars in the night
still terribly in desperate love.

We Were Poets

Acme May 2020

We Were Poets

When did we become
irrelevant? We were poets!
We could turn a phrase.
Our lines could sit on a pin
so precise to spin in orbits around
what world's we once were.

What a Dream I Had

Acme Jun 2020

What a Dream I Had

17 years old. My heart was ready.
"For Emily, Whenever I may Find Her"
was my soundtrack and I met you and
we were doomed to live the song. It was
softer than the rain in fields hidden
from sight and we made our love and
had our child in juniper and lamplight.
Your cheeks flushed with the night
on frosted fields you both died.
I kissed your honey hair with my tears.

Thanks to Paul Simon for his brilliance.
For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her
Simon & Garfunkel
What I dream I had
Pressed in organdy
Clothed in crinoline of smoky Burgundy
Softer than the rain
I wandered empty streets
past the shop displays down
I heard cathedral bells
Tripping down the alley ways
As I walked on
And when you ran to me
Your cheeks flushed with the night
We walked on frosted fields
of juniper and lamplight
I held your hand
And when I awoke and felt you warm and near
I kissed your honey hair with my grateful tears
Oh I love you girl
Oh I love you

What a World I Saw

Acme Jul 2021

What a World I Saw

Women were dancing with women.
  Men were dancing with men.
  Donkeys were ****** and dogs too.
  Chains kept the whole thing civil.
  Love songs flew over mountains and
  the moon kept a billion secrets.

Vacation in Tijuana

What if We Lose Our Love

Acme Jan 2020

What if We Lose Our Love

It's happened before.
I've fallen in love a million
times and the fire always
dies on beds of boredom.
I want to keep on with it
but I can't fake an *******.

What Love Isn't

Acme Jun 2020

What Love Isn't

I still don't know what Love is.
  I know what it isn't.
  Love has no need of jealously.
  Love is never cruel or petty.
  It has no size or shape. It has
  no heart or soul. It doesn't smell
  of flowers or chocolates. It might
  sweat or cry tears or choke on loss.
  It doesn't quit when needed most.
  Love isn't a good **** or pretty song.

W. H. Auden

Acme Feb 2020

W. H. Auden

I know his old face from photos.
Crevasses and dried memories and
ancient women cracked smiles and
prunes and peach pits and the most
magnificent poet of his and my day.
He is dead yet alive on my pages.
We live in his age of anxiety so
little read but known in the gut.

When a Cynic Cries

Acme May 2020

When a Cynic Cries

When a cynic cries
  his stone heart dies
  blood flows from his eyes
  and forgives all his lies

When I Saw You

Acme Jan 2020

When I Saw You

You were a Vision
in a bar with a halo,
gold hair against
a window, angel's
promise to save
me from myself.
I want to see you
as you are now
every single day
that I am living.

Jayne in Rugby's.

When I was Handsome

Acme Jul 2020

When I was Handsome

No turkey neck or jowls or man *****.
   I was considered handsome and the girls
   all sought my company. I was picky then.
   The fall is always hardest for the vain.

When You're Old

Acme Jun 2020

When You're Old

Wrinkled skin and grey and stooped a once strong
man doing sweat work for a buck to buy beer and
smokes to sleep and open eyes and do it all again.
I hated school. Dead teach death. I was just a tourist
visiting my life. I'm old and still a tourist.
I can't stand my old forgetful dying self.

Where Babies Come From

Acme Aug 2021

Where Babies Come From

In the womb I got drunk
and high on ******'s junk
not even born I'm an addict
the orphanage will predict.
I've tasted and never forget
this **** storm of regret.
Adopt me and my monkey
I'll try clean but we'll see.

Where God Hides

Acme May 2020

Where God Hides

There's a sliver of time and space
where God hides. He hates fame
and created His hidey hole.
If you saw Him you'd go mad
by His perfection and Godliness.
Let's just say He's everywhere.

Which Lie?

Acme Jan 2020

Which Lie?

Which lie will finally destroy
my love? I love the truth of you.
It's eroding each time you use.
White lies are turning darker as
our time together has a stench.
Be right back.You never returned.

Another good soul lost to dark matter. ******.

Who can explain this poem?

Acme Dec 2020

Who can explain this poem?

madness

the dearth of death
is birth and breath
when a broken bed
betrays my stead
petulant reaper
becomes my keeper
when madness rules
this house of fools
I'll always pledge
this razor's edge
to my neck's vein
to spare you pain.

I love this poem but have no idea what it means. Please help me understand it. Thank you!

Who Do You Trust?

Acme Mar 2020

Who Do You Trust?

I used to believe what they said,
but I finally grew up.
People are full of **** and say
anything that will get them laid.

Guilty as the next guy!

Why Do You All Hate Me

Acme Feb 2020

Why Do You All Hate Me

I saw it sprayed on a rock.
  "Why Do You All Hate Me?"
  I thought I don't know you
  so I can't hate you but if
  we meet for coffee I'll try.
  Maybe you'll hate me instead?
Maybe we'll duel at dawn.
Maybe we'll fall madly in love?

Why I Drink

Acme Oct 2020

Why I Drink

I'm gone inside of moments
and lost inside of days and
live inside of hours with
chores wishing I was dead.

Widows Never Dance Again

Acme May 2020

Widows Never Dance Again

I saw a dying brother bleed out.
   I saw a madman **** his flock.
   Parades celebrated the funerals.
   Little boys masquerading as men
   played war. Real men died for mud.
   Loved ones prayed their rosaries.
   No prayers were ever answered on
   our street. Gold stars filled sad
   windows. Widows cried in private.
   They would never dance again.

Wizard of Oz

Acme Apr 2020

Wizard of Oz

Within me is a huge empty space. A void
   that yearns for reason and meaning and
   a universe of splendid understanding why.
   Why me? Why here? Why now? Why death?
   So many why's with so little explanations.
   I can't help but think there's no God at
   the levers just a wizard of Oz and Toto.

Woodstock

Acme Apr 2020

Woodstock

I was going to Twitter today.
I needed to get my fill of venom
and hate to feed my outrage
and fuel my despair and fear.
I ended up here instead.
I'm listening to upbeat music
and hope we all gather in a field
called Woodstock and drop acid
and get baptized in pouring rain
naked and free of anybody's chains.

REO Speedwagon Time for Me to Fly

Words

Acme Apr 2020

Words

"words so excite me that a pornographic story,
for example, excites me sexually more than a
living person can do." - W.H. Auden

  Her smile slipped a little bit
  and I knew I'd struck a nerve.
  She pretends to love me because
  she has no idea what love is.
  She wants orderly not chaos but
  she has to spread her legs and
  play along and I play my part.
  Here's my seed and piece of me.
  Plant them in your barren ground.
  I might still reach for the sun.

Working Class

Acme Aug 2020

Working Class

We rattle the cages in which we live,
  not the poorest but near that bottom.
  Our boots are always muddy and hands
  callused from working in the trenches.
  Denim is our uniform and we hide anger
  behind our smiles and booties on boots
  so as not to soil your perfect houses.
  We work hard and don't need your gyms.
  We drink like you every night but we
  have cheap wine and beer while you
  toast with scotch and fancy martinis.
  Old pickups we drive on a prayer and
  hope our kids will prosper like I know
  you hope yours will get into Harvard.

World's End

Acme Jan 2020

World's End

Above a billion staring faces
  the world just disappeared.
  Time stopped. We ceased.
  Our souls bled into black ink
  stains and dreams were lost.
  Neither a bang or a whimper.

Wounded Knee

Acme Jun 2020

Wounded Knee

I'm a cowboy who's run out of time.
  My world is almost all fenced in.
  I'll be a wild west show pretty soon.
  Towns will be cities and trains will
  **** cowboys and Indians and Bison.
  Bury our hearts at wounded knee.

Write in Blood

Acme Mar 2020

Write in Blood

The writers who dare put thoughts to page
which might be loved, hated or worst ignored.
The unrecognized millions of us who dare to
speak our truth against tides and say **** it.
I admire us all and will always say **** it.
Rip our tongues out and we write in blood.

Yellow Brick Road

Acme Aug 2021

Yellow Brick Road

As angels go Dorothy was my favorite!
She knew our talents. She believed.
She helped us believe in ourselves.
She laughed the hardest, she loved us all,
she guided this lost soul into a place of peace.
I miss you very dearly. I miss you most of all.
The scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion.
We'll see you at the end of the yellow brick road.
Love to our dear friend, Dorothy Rengsdorff.

Yellow Brick Road

Acme Jul 2020

Yellow Brick Road

There are just 3 things I need.
A heart and brain and courage
will conquer a world and fill
it with love, care and strength.

Yellowed Photos

Acme Jun 2020

Yellowed Photos

My life lies folded between plastic
    sheets. The photos chronicle 71 years.
    The scenes are long forgotten. I'm
    looking at a stranger's comic book.
    He must have been loved by many.
    Laughter surrounds him. He looks
    like a leprechaun stealing hearts.
    I don't like me. I never did. I don't
    know why anyone would. I know I'm
    here but don't know who wanted me.
    I was a mistake that no eraser
    could remove the ******* stain.

Yesterday's Suicide

Acme Feb 2020

Yesterday's Suicide

I was posed in the bathtub naked
  with a razor on my wrist to die
  the phone rang and went to machine
  my mom said "we hope you're on meds
  take care we love you and I'll call
  tomorrow to check up. I love you."
  I loved my mom more than god but
  I cut big veins and died after all.

You are My Universe

Acme Feb 2020

You are My Universe

I'll die as many times as it takes to
finally meet you the next time I live.
I live in your vast night full of stars
and your gravity keeps me close to you.

You Easily Forsake Me

Acme Feb 2022

You Easily Forsake Me

Why do you always reach out for me
   when you know it's finally too late?
   You leave me living one second at a time
   breathing between heartbeats and dying
   inside broken promises. The things I
   was going to do are never started.

You Make Me Dance

Acme Apr 2020

You Make Me Dance

You make me dance.
I'm not a dancer.
You make me sing.
I'm not a singer.
You make me your lover.
I'm not anyone's lover.
I'm not Pinocchio.
I'm a real boy.
You pull strings of my heart
and I love you for it.

Zombie

Acme Feb 2022

Zombie

I shoot up and live death awhile.
  I keep dropping dead and come alive
  and die again and death holds the
  best dreams for us living zombies.
  We lose families. We lose ourselves.
  We wish prayers helped or AA or
  sponsors or your heart and soul.
  I dream of our first night *******.

Zombie

Acme Jan 2020

Zombie

I shoot up and live death awhile.
  I keep dropping dead and come alive
  and die again and death holds the
  best dreams for us living zombies.
We lose families. We lose ourselves.
We wish prayers helped or AA or
sponsors or your heart and soul.
I dream of our first night *******.

— The End —