Strip our beds
of all the sheets.
Wash wet dreams
off the ***** streets.
Sleep on warm grates
wrapped in old news
sleep in a needle waits
dream death's blues.

We haven't spoken
since one of us died,
old bonds broken.
The other one cried.

You weren't seen
in my blind spot
too old so young
perfect ink blot
no trouble at all
self absorbed dad
in and out of love
edge of mind mad.
I forgot to care
for the tattered
broken Daughter
always mattered.

I am kind.
  I am cruel.
  I am loved
  and a fool.
  I am guilty.
  I am free.
  You'll find me
  suffering in
Cincinnati,
Ohio.

Spring

We fall in love
fist in glove
a God above
birthing dove.

Summer

Build our nest
for our blessed
birth a ****** mess
she survives distress.

Autumn

Princess on a carousel
Loves knight foretell
parts heaven and hell
down the wishing well.

    Winter

Old bones always ache
cold as hell, a snake
as I die my soul take
to hell, no mistake.

She made me a scarf.
It was Ireland green
France Fleur de lis blue
German sunlight red
She worries about me like
a treasure in her heart
where I felt most at home,
that will be lost someday.

Hospice room's machines
a healthy noise harmony
song of the Opera queens
perfect pitch is the irony.

The end is always near
morphine drip constants
dreams of lovers so dear
death gets what it wants.

The final absolute end
with her infinity reach.
Flowers mourners send
Hymn a buzzard screech.

I stare into my bloodshot eyes.
I count the stains of long goodbyes.
Forgive my sins rosary bead lies.
Let her sleep or the baby cries.

Adolf ****** loved the Jew
Charlie Chaplain. Who knew?
His mustache proudly wore,
he woke the sleeping world.
Allies bombed his bed
suicide with Eva dead.

Somewhere in space time
inside couplets and rhyme.
Naked inside Georgine
New Jersey *** machine
another angel from hell
helps me break a spell.

Mommy works a waitress
I quit my job proud protest.
We walk barefoot to dive bar
a gallon jug to fill with beer.
We watch The Point on TV.
We three just wander free.
Mommy cries real tears
frightened by real fears.

I was 5
insecure
living
not sure
dad was
war torn
bomber
reborn
in flak
no way back.
PTSD
what it be
a misery
die me free
if only
it'd be.

Just leaking sin
my broken skin
a hundred *****
a couple of stunts.
Saturday confession
I never learn a lesson.
I'll try again Saturday
in hayloft get my way.
Linda Hotze  please,
give me your cheese.

You'd never believe what I saw.
Staring into the gaping maw
I saw Rusty's puppy paw
took him in my heart raw.
He died on the 4th of July
bombs exploding in the sky
I held him tight and knew,
it broke our hearts in two.

Eugene O'Neill


  Haunted stern looking playwright.
  Should've married Zelda Fitzgerald.
  Ghosts on the sands of Province town
  looking beautiful in black and white.

  Snapshots define them for generations.
  Always slim and bashful for cameras.
  I have always been the iceman in cold
  shadows of my earthly greedy nations.

At 6 feet apart
mask no kisses
love has no heart
only near misses.

My old hands are crooked flaws
tear our flesh accidental claws
we make hungry clumsy love
when a push becomes a shove.

I wish I knew you then.
I wish we'd start again.
I wish we've grown thin.
I wish I remembered then.

I'm sun you're rain,
    Pleasure to the pain.
    Cracked heart sustain.
    Join in Love's refrain.

A million laughs
and bubble baths,
loud 1812 Overture
drugs open aperture.
Both mutes *******
broncos are bucking.
Watch silent movies
Garbo on her knees.

2 lost souls met at Rugby's and
  crawled into each others heart.
  We loved 3 days and rose again
  into Southern light's fresh start.

Santa Ana winds
angry fire maker
arsonist unbends
pizza oven baker.

Everything came apart
shattered my heart
splinters always bring
paper cut pain unseen.

I can't regret
what I forget.

The petting
the kissing
the getting
just missing

That night we came together
into the sacred secret Eden
my Adam your Eve forever
forbidden fruit not eaten.

The blue pill promises hard times
marriages revived in bed crimes.
Beware your old weak hearts
at love's sudden restarts.

We finally dare
to question you
pretend to care?
Nothing is true.

Heart, courage,brain
Snake oil bromide
rob us blind again,
jab into genocide.

I'm lost into pieces
we share starry night
hearts ignite flames
look for love or flight.
Absinthe madness
troubled tongue
ending in sadness
no longer young.
Beauty cracks
old wax mask
wrinkled witch
taken to task.

I want to
and have
apply you
magic salve.
Stop the clocks.
Turn off time
no more tocks
froze in rhyme.
Famous painting
hangs in France
with crooked smile
and one more dance.

The sun that keeps us alive
steals our souls to survive.

Lover's fingers on ivory keys
play moving music all about
broken vows on bent knees.
Sowing Love's forever doubt.

I have no fear or hate,
just a shadow of a fate.
Never too early or late,
nothing I can anticipate.

D.C. Addicted ******

Civilization crumbles with laws
made of DC lies from the jaws
of mindless government ******
barter dignity at Dollar Stores
buy the fish on Motel 6 floors
commies finally won the wars.

The minute hand crawls to 10
wonders what might have been
permission given to finally sleep
pray to god my soul to keep.

It hasn't happened for years.
I tell my wife it's dream tears.
Bought Adult Depends at last
try holding the currents fast.
Sadly there is no more dignity
when you lose control of ***.

I'm a worn out old man.
I want to go back to Alcott
where our world was in a jar
we were collected bugs in the
woods. We knew the creeks and
lake and swung on vines Tarzan
like and ran home to supper and
homework and TV and slumber.
Dad off to work at 5am hacking
in the bushes and off he went in
a flesh colored rocket ship bare
as birth his '57 Chevrolet Bel Air.

How to move from here to there?
With our entire life in tiny boxes.
Million rocks to move somewhere
Sisyphus calls the Uhaul  bosses.

I woke up cold
in summer heat
just feeling old
weak heartbeat.

Our *** kills me
smile on my face
love sets me free
in rebirth grace.

I was ****** and drunk at 3am.
My conscience called my phone.
We loved and never answered.
I crawled back to bed now alone
a little room at hell's midnight.
I woke in your fierce sunlight.

I always set the table
even as we starve
potatoes' blight
extinguish light
black in coffins
ordered flight.

Dawn's first faint light
    beer fueled fury abates.  
    I'm spent, no more fight.
    Sweep up broken plates.

    The neglect always shows through
    yellow teeth in a drunken grin.
    The kid's dressed in hand me downs
    yellow bus without lunch again.

    I have magic elixir I can give
    that makes life worth living.
    Beer and music help me live
    another day still forgiving.

Life isn't precious. It's comical.
It's a wonder the human race is
still here. We're addicted to any
thing that makes us high enough
to escape the dreary life we live.
We **** everything. We put ****
in our veins for a minute of peace.
We die to escape loneliness finally.

I'll come for you
I bring a bottle
and ****** or two
loosen the throttle
set fire to the bed
sleep in splendid ash
wake you give me head
I always pay with cash.

Pairing aces and jacks
on dance card bingo
whistle past grave yards
fingers crossed lingo.
Even or odd on cards?
Is the stick yes or no?

I'm a cowboy without a full moon.
  My world completely all fenced in.
  I'll be a wild west show pretty soon.
  Pretend sheriff wears a star of tin.

  Towns are cities concrete canyons
  Midnight cowboys rent their guns
  by the hour to rich companions
  wake drunk by noon in neon suns.

Bury my heart
at Wounded Knee
I played my part
now set me free.

I'm a cowboy who's run out of time.
  My world completely all fenced in.
  I'll be a wild west show pretty soon.
  Pretend sheriff wearing  a star of tin.

Elder aunt adored
lazy Summer bored
reading Hardy Boys
stroke mystery toys.
Sleep in tent on her lawn
chickens wake at dawn.
Spoils us with ice cream
old man's boyhood dream.

We'll bury our hearts
in their aching parts
later when blood dries
we understand whys.
We love certain things
hate no wedding rings.

I stare in a mirror of ice
see myself in paradise
fever warm that night
walking into the light.