Too Good To Not Be Bad

Universalizing actions
I forget which philosopher
recommended it as a moral imperative
for me, I always agreed with him
but lately
I’ve been having a problem
namely, that problem
is age
as of this poem’s writing
and for the next three months
I’m 41
my current assumption’s that
I’ll live to be older
assuming as much
how much older is morally acceptable
when universalizing an action
we should consider our age
what if everyone lived to be this old
what then
is a universal age of 41 sustainable
42? 84?
science is getting us to where
we may some day
never need worry too much
about dying before we’ve lasted
a century plus a handful of decades more
in basic terms of resources consumed
it’s ridiculous to think
these long lifespans are morally acceptable
but that’s the least of it
compared to now
universalize capitalism
the way 99% of all wealth
gets accumulated in a meager 1% of the population
totally fucked
totally unsustainable
and totally im-fucking-moral
or as another example – America
if everyone lived like me
burning gas to keep warm
shopping in supermarkets
owning a house
raising my own child
filling the car’s tank once a week
streaming movies online
drinking myself fat and stupid
based on my preferred system
of philosophical morality
I’m an evil fucking inhuman monster
that’s the weight I’ve put on my own shoulders
so who am I to argue otherwise
make excuses and special pleas
to justify my terrible existence
nobody – that’s who
because the essential fact is,
is that my life
assures the lives of others
are living hells of deprivation, torture
and pleasureless need
I am a citizen
of a western industrialized democracy
I live the good life
but in doing so
I am a bad person

Because They’re So Darn Dumb

Initially, you react well
because this is denial:
Arrogance, Bemusement, Careless indifference
it distracts; it’s easy
you’re feelin’ fine
giddy with your sense of superiority
high-flying over others’
irrational worries
you jest and scoff
but this is crass self-indulgence
your belief in secret knowledge
for that too is denial: conspiracy,
possession of access
to a clearer vision of reality
you plug up your ears
against expert opinion
against theories that are just
theories
denial is a way to feel special
to laugh at stupid friends
sneer at scientific facts
evidence – what’s that
scientists are liars
and they’re always changing their minds about stuff
whereas you hold
in your hands
word – inerrant and eternal
the wisdom of the ages
and it’s been around for damn near 2,000 years
if science is so smart
then why didn’t it ever think
to just open up the right book?

Fool Proof

Saturation levels will be achieved
by a subject’s early teens
commencing full-spread inundation
before the age of eight
is recommended
if the goal is to adjust the mind
to the message
prior to the subject’s understanding
of persuasive intent
taking these measure help to complicate
a given subject’s definitions
of complex social constructs such as
rape, slavery, murder and consent
when legal concepts are blurred
by preconditioned prejudices
victims may be popularly construed as willing
as asking for it
subject’s will se certain futures as inevitable
acceptance under the duress of social expectations
reduces instances of lawsuits against the state
and the states preferred citizens and entities
if done properly
the privileged will know their place
at roughly the same chronological age
as their lesser comprehend theirs
and tell themselves
this is the way it has always been
wealth, skin color, sex and sexual orientation
will be the strongest signifiers
of a subject’s self-worth
assisting them in seeing themselves
approximately how others see them
media perpetuation of signifier hierarchies
is how continuance of peaceful control
shall be guaranteed
again, it cannot be stressed enough
the importance of an early start
getting a jump
on critical thinking and skepticism now
could save your nation the cost
of crowd control, protest, labor stoppages,
insurrection and revolution later
the methods and tools are not guaranteed
and in no way foolproof
but used wisely and prodigiously
are guaranteed to produce fools

Yo-yo

yesterday, the string on the yo-yo broke
at the nadir, spinning
ready to rise
and snap
it fell to earth
a drop of infinite inches
compressed miles
concentrated years
covered in a blink of weakness
frayed string
neglected line
like a fish
dangling at the fingertips
wriggling mad
breaking away
into river
into home
an empty frying pan
a hungry family accusing
a man who couldn’t perform
ruined trick
games for children
try as you might
in one overlooked aspect
in one heedless instant
the south will never rise again
lost in ignorance
in descending ruin
in your last dalliance with hope
at your lowest point
the future escapes and swims away
rolls away
a toy
a meal
tears
expiration

Would a Scenario Like This Surprise You if it Actually Happened?

Power pole bore the blame
what does it do
standing there immobile
stoically holding lines aloft
who does it think it is
there in the way
on the tight curve
maliciously waiting for the unwary
drunk hands on the wheel
sleep-dosed eyes
a moments nod
a blur
a rich kid and a Mercedes
missed turn
crash, burn
he lives
he heals
he sues the reckless placement
he wins
the city pays big
rich kid gets richer
blame is for the poor
for the pole
a quivering of the wires
that electrify and bind
socially, home to home
rattled endlessly
by the rot of privilege

The SyFy Channel Sucks

Okay
the international conference of ninjas
is set to take place in Los Angeles
on their way from all over the world
but mostly from Japan and greater Asia
for obvious reasons
are all the world’s ninjas
aboard a fabulous luxury liner
in tow is a cargo ship
loaded with traditional weapons of the art
shurikens, kitanas… shit like that
but mostly shurikens
shakens
throwing stars
now here is where two things happen
on the cruise ship
a horrible contagion gets passed
from sushi to passengers
even the teriyaki’s got it
everybody gets sick
as the second thing swings in
which is a massive storm
the largest, most severe hurricane ever known
swelling up a towering tsunami
the ship is tossed
Poseidon is angry
twisters abound
ill ninjas go bananas
turn into berserker zombies
but with all their skills
stealth, combat, reflexes
all this shit
ninjas and knives
get sucked up in the clouds
and rain in chaos upon the city
deadly metal
lethal assassins hungry for flesh
high speed winds – terrified victims
murder, mayhem
totally random shrapnel slaughter and cannibalism
it’s gonna be great
and we’re going to call it – ¬you’ll love this…
SHURIKANE!
unless you prefer Shurikanami – that’d be fine too
So what do you think?
Green light?

Mirror Warrior

The land where I live
as all others before it
demands protection
we are told always to fear
barbarian hordes
at the gates
an agitated ocean of hate
raging against the levees
foaming and roiling
coming over the top
to do away with the triple anathema
of truth, liberty and justice
to scrub our land clean
and dirty it
in the image of their own
to stand against them
we have raised an army
of tanks, nuclear warheads
intercontinental ballistic missiles
armor piercing bullets
depleted uranium shells
and men in uniform
uniformed to lose individuality
to be one, unified
an undifferentiated mass
dehumanized
a symbol of death
coming to sweep the enemy away

Unfortunately, back at home
in the land where I live
many people in that land too
see the soldier as dehumanized
a man bereft of humanity
don’t get me wrong
they support him
they support our troops
but for them too
the soldier is a symbol
a fetish
an object of veneration
individuated they are objectified
made into the image of their worshippers
who see themselves and their beliefs in the soldier
the soldier that has become a mirror
a reflection wherein
the face of bigotry, xenophobia and hate
can be seen
screaming in the backwoods
howling in rural hinterlands of poverty
in trailer parks of white destitution
they forget
out of the fatigues
helmet off, face washed
the soldier is a man
with his own history
and not a blank slate
to be filled in by the politically ambitious
religiously blinkered and violently frightened
gun-toting cowards
of my land
living in the mirror darkly

Dear Libertarian,

How long
have
you been suspended here
submerged
inverted
in this nutrient rich feeding tube
waiting for tiny mouths
to greedily suck you down
digest you
divest you of
and take you
for all you’re worth?

Cloud of Song

rain falling into a puddle
overlapping ripples reverberating outwards from impact
are like miniature records no DJ can spin
one hit wonders
whose music dissipates
from the first note
to the last
never to play again