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 drank
all the way to the bank
in god they trust
while their hearts
can’t thank
that cowardice
that safety
that tricked them
from ever moving towards anything
they ever really loved
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 say it’s not my fault
asking for my pin numbers
I’ve cut all my cards
let’s sing for our suppers
lost in a you
with me, too
things that go down
must soon come up
can’t get back home
forward is all we know
winds starting to blow
we sail rather than walk
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 way they reflect your thoughts
I like watching them if only to predict
where and where they start to go wrong
when they think
they’re in it for themselves
when they feel original
when they’re getting so far ahead
as if death
was the only goal
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
in this dailyness
how we treat ourselves
and each other
we’re dying like everyone
who’s come before and left
writing a word or a line
or better yet
cleaning
up
after
ourselves
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
you’ve put a lot work
into yourself
curated a life
despite this mess
as I untangle riddles
written yourself
I get drawn into knots
tied like you’re seven
we could order another course
finish the wine
but if you’re sure you’ve got to go
please take my time
amidst the devastation
in spite of the death
there’s a new horizon
and some beauty left
we can fight all night
and still make the bed
get it right once
and never again
until then
I’ll just rhyme these lines
leave the suitcase
but 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 a team
to have your voice in the future
we’re making something new
to revolutionize the world
going to shake things up
it’s really going to move
you might not like
everything you see
we don’t expect that
individuals make up a team
but at the end of the day
isn’t security what it’s about
there’s a lot to be sacrificed
if that’s what you want
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 last
now there’s just you
and a little bit of time
that you were planning
on spending any way you like
maybe you’d consider the picture’s
blurry and not to your liking
you could move some things around
get perspective on what you’re seeing
there was someone there at the door
now they’re gone
don’t know what they came here for
it seems like they’ve moved on
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 to get along
because
that seemed easy
but it took me places
that weren’t easy
to leave
especially
when things got ugly
there were others around me
whom I liked
and they disappeared
but their words stayed with me
and they turned out to be true
now I speak from the heart
even when things get dark
it can get lonely but
I’ve learned not to care so much
I just want to be true to myself
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 dungarees
we rediscover an energy
rumored to be extinct
those were the times
these are mine
and there's
nothing guaranteed
I do as I like
like a child until I find
something more
interesting
As the past threatens the young
As snipers build a nest
the old question re-emerge
grammatically intact