Taltz

Ask your doctor and cough up the cash
clear skin can be yours today and subsequently
fall in love
have a family
get that dog good and soapy
catch a firefly
right in the palm of your fucking hand
it’s just like that
no more unsightly spots
and the world is your pimple to pop
just spike the vein
to be a dermatological champion
you rash free mother fucker you
live the life of your wonder bread dreams
hoo-haw!

Impulse

There’s a knife
separated from me
by a square pane of glass
a shield
between customer and food prep
they use it for slicing citrus
cutting it in half
for the juicer
handle and blade
both painted yellow
but on the blade it’s worn away
steel exposed
limned in golden sunshine
it’s an arm’s length away
through the Liberty Safety tempered barrier
there is a work around
a passage that goes straight through
just to my right
there at my elbow
as I sip from the mug
the moment could come
a direct line
from me to the knife to the bathroom door
single occupancy with a lock
quick, make the move
get the knife
behind the counter
push past
“Out of the way”
open and close and locked inside
“You’ll need police
and a clean-up crew
I’m very sorry,”
and then pressure of the pointed tip
to the orange’s peal
into it, to the rind
the ripe giving flesh
and out the other side
all that juice wasted
freely spilled, strange
how I always so loathed
donating to the mosquito
the leech, the tick
their fair share
such a meager volume
of my ruby bounty
contained no more
come and get it
while it’s still warm

Rattle Head

My brain is a baby viper
coiled and flexing
squirming in agitation
against the smooth walls
of its eggshell cage
prodding, poking
testing integrity
impatiently demanding
cracks form
soon to spring free fully-formed
fangs precocious
envenomed and unlearned
in everything a threat perceived
striking fearfully, enraged
one toxic payload, no control
for the hatchling snake
it’s an all or nothing
bite into life

#NeverFund

Bleeding hearts
I know you hurt
in these days
of callous atrocities
whether government inaction
in the face of natural disaster
or yet another
entirely preventable
mass shooting of grade schoolers
but you must stop
giving
donate nothing
to the funds for relief
for sufferers of grief

Bind tight your bloody pump in gauze
apply pressure
by never donating
allow the charities to die
fund nothing
because by taxes
you already do
and all the rich desire
is that you continue to
once, twice, endlessly
through what the state takes
and through what you freely
are willing to throw at the problem
they’re watching you
counting up your hand outs
to determine how much more
every time, after every death and disaster
they can keep for themselves