Sipping red juice, cigarettes leaf loose, filter tip flick brush fire
The truth from a liar, a bullet from a Steyr AUG, hitting meat
The mercy seat is open, we're still hoping on a miracle
Melts away like summer sun creamsicles, removed like tonsils
Swerve low sweet cherry fly, come on through let's get real high
Forget about the world and the hurdles jumped through to grow old and die
Constantly asking why, a species unwillingly born
Fire and scorn we rain down on one another, its life being taken from our species, our brothers
How many mothers have to outlast their children?
Instill in me some recipe for success, bless this next step off
The road used to be soft, but I can feel the potholes now
With a sudden bow we retreat to our lonely places
Screens replace faces and we talk less, less stress
Exhaling whatever type of smoke from your chest
Hummingbird feathers sewed into your vest
You bring out the best in me, give me sight to see
the possibilities

Mid day wake up, med cup, emptied into open palm, balled up
Left, everything just left, like a morning smoke burnt down
Bound to fail, lay low, hail on the tin roof out back of the cove
A grove, cut down, covered in asphalt and heat and us

The totality of emotion
Combusted commotion
Lavender lotion
. on your hands on your hands
Rubber bands constrict
Wire heart restricts
Tires and plastic
. burning sick, burning headache
Things that we put at stake
Rules we break
Overtake, overtake
. must be first
It's the worst, leads to hearse
Real life idiot since birth
Have something then sharply swerve
.  nothing lasts, I did this to myself
Drink good health for this fool
Playing jester tricks
With jokers in the window, three
.  good luck printed sparkles
A lark full of cherry pits
Hints of something sweet
On the tip of your tongue
. just speak, that's enough
I'm done with the rough
for a little while
I hope
.

Brain exploding, like popcorn, hearing you sing
Hot oil, blisters in patches, snatches of conversation
One nation, under fraud, sideways schemes means lives taken
Love shaken down to dust and nothing
There is something, hovering on the edge of imaginary periphery
A sip to see if it's poison

Pulling out thorns gone soft, near the chainsaw sew up
Blew up my mind, didn't even need a bullet
Then sold it, my soul kid, for pharmaceutical potions
The quote ends to suddenly for me, please see my hesitation
Elation when something works out, second guess my second guesses
Less is more, depending on circumstance
Chlorophyll competing for cramped canopy
Sanity slipping sideways, seductive mania, sirens singing, screaming
Bugs on the wind shield and all you can see is peeled back colors
Shapes that smother your empathy and blind your skull, changes your whole **** outlook

Slender spider striking, straight from center

The concrete re-enters the common points,

impact retracts skin layers, blood on white

toilet paper

Bent butts on the broke blue table, redshift

reason into regard once again,

our brains spiral and spin,

define truth my friend

It's all about what you make it, sabers and layers

peeled back, full frontal attack

a mouse in a trap

kicking

We're sticking our necks out so far

no fear inspired scars on our

slate gray souls

Broken bowls on the back porch, collecting spider

webs and insect legs and

clausterphobic cocoons

Found the last loon in the ****** bin

flying south, dreaming of a quiet pond

to land in

Something short, sweet
crushed between teeth,
straight, white,
perfect
Raw cane sugar on
cracked molar
crown
The last sip of coffee is
always
sweetest
The heat is dying down
asphalt concrete town
what happens when
it all goes down
Where will we run?
is there any place under the sun
that is truly safe?
We're still breathing by the grace of chance, freelance,
dance like no one is watching
Listen to your heart stream,
fishing in the deep pool
of your veins
In shallow water with the cranes
watching Blue Heron
tumble upstream