Bob Gaulke

 Heavy accumulations

You imagine the past 

in the present you can’t 

guess what happened 

to those you know lost 

to the folds of time 

in vain you hope they had 

more glorious lives 

than a grind 

like the coffee they…

 Lost in a “U” 

without help from the stars 

we drive this carcass so far 

until we nearly stall 

just pulled back from it all 

lost in a you 

what can we do 

with just this one 

outside world 

you…

 Issues

 Peopling

People are problematic 

they don’t always do what you want them to 

sometimes they do 

nothing at all 

you have to beg and threaten 

curse and provoke 

the way you’d 

eat a cannibal 

people are my favorite drug 

the…

 The usual 

we’re dying 

I thought you knew that 

did you forget when 

you went to work depressed

we’re dying 

and we don’t know exactly 

what it means but it should

give us reason to pause

and reflect on meaning…

 Please Take My Time

the more I know 

the fewer questions I have 

about my role and 

what comes next 

we could take turns 

you could drive for a while

as I head for your curves 

please take my time…

 Your last chance to sell out 

we’ve been impressed 

with the consistency of your work 

the way you dress 

you’ve cultivated this look 

like to make you an offer 

join us with what we do 

want you as part of…

 annoyances 

the future needed your help

it wasn’t begging 

it didn’t have anything to sell 

just wanted to tell you something 

everything you thought was solid’s 

boiled off into a gas 

everything that was promised 

has been shown not to…

 True 

you should try being true 

it’s not the easiest thing to do 

it won’t pay for new shoes 

but it might save you some trouble 

some time from now

I used to worry what 

others would think 

I used…

 Sixty-Seven

flowers everywhere

music in the streets 

conventions turned upside down 

questions about everything 

then numbers came 

crunching billions in their wake

chaining eyes and minds

was it a colossal mistake  

I take off your granny classes

you remove my…

 On it

How can anything 

be a love song 

with everything going on 

how can we think of us 

against these flames 

in the background 

maybe lovers in Vesuvius 

thought the same thing-  

smile and pose for history 

we’re in…

 Slip Permission 

I screwed up 

and I got back 

to where I swore 

I’d never find myself again 

amongst the ranks 

of fallen men 

that familiar smell 

of failure I know too well 

and you move inches 

away from me…