Hot Damn

What I understand to expect
is not there
inside is a reflection of the universe
a vast emptiness
pocked by infrequent
indescribably distant
pricks of light
hopeless to illuminate
the far and wide dark

And there are people who say
we are composed of the stuff of stars
as too are remote rocks of iron and ice
adrift in endless indifference
most of everything is nothingness
hard vacuum, space
and if we are stardust
born on solar winds
then so too are we the void

In deep meditation and deeper contemplation
we barely exist
and what there is of us
howls bleak and hateful
trapped by gravity
wrapped in sinew and flesh
eight cold minutes away as the photon flies
from Mother’s loving pyre

Shocking Footage or Move Over Mondo Cane

Numbing onslaught of camera video caught
presented to the public
for outrage and edification
entertainment and enjoyment
a black mother in the rectangle framed
her babe in arms
dragged from vehicle
white cop, shakily kept in the lens
badge and uniform, navy blue and milk skinned
baby in onesie fumbled
tike strikes asphalt
mama recovers and
laterals to dad in the car
pig snorts and tackles dear ma
charges the bitch with obstruction
and reckless endangerment of a minor
oink oink the LEO victorious goes
and then, the next clip
on a bus
elderly man shuffles to deboard
taking long, so slow, dragging time
endless hobble to exit at the designated stop
but the healthy white man’s waiting
oh, how he’s patient
temper under control and law-abiding until snap
he shoves, mad and face rage-contorted and
the cripple goes shit flat out the door
an old man and his walker
splat upon concrete and curb

only two episodes are these
shown in a row
tasty eye-candy for hungry-eyed masses…

WITNESS!
The Depravation!
SEE!
The Filth!
Never before in the annals of horror
has such shocking prejudice
been brought to the big screen
in lurid
true to life
amazing color
YOU’LL THRILL!
YOU’LL MARVEL!
YOU’LL CHEER FOR MORE!
Nothing can prepare you for
the abyss
of what
we call
the 24/7
news
cycle

Strategic Black-Out

to the tired, the poor
and the huddled what-have-yous
once the light of liberty beckoned
welcomed by rich-man’s consent
but the times have changed
where a century ago
robber barons required grist
blood to brave the jungle
fresh skin
out of which to sew new wallets
masses with asses
ripe for lashing scourge and branding iron
numbers game of death
Chinese per track mile
Irish per canal foot
those days however
of grinding immigrant bones in the mills
choking lungs in mines
broken on the company wheel
of misfortune and debt
are as they say
over
not over the moon in love
just over
the affair gone sour
modernity’s machines
automation and stream-lining
assuring that no longer are they wanted
by billionaire decree
the flow of laborers
into a land lacking labor
must be dammed
and the dusky skinned
double-damned and banned
thus the country greased by poverty’s sweat
is bled dry of funds, of tax, of budget
except to military and law
because all that matters now
is the hoards of armed men
to protect their hordes of wealth
and suppress the depleted populace
in ignorance and violence
in disinformation and exultations
as capitalism’s endgame
displays, unashamed at last
its final ploy

Atheist

Please, I implore
do not give me a name that aims to define
clearly, the description fits, the label not libel
the appellation appropriate
but why grant it importance
a privileged position of relevance
that one must be stated to be
nailed down as
the pigeon jammed into the jug and stoppered
its coo and peep well contained
parameters set
for there are a great many entities, events and efficacies
in which I don’t believe
from zodiacs to ghosts
alien abduction to acupuncture
Oedipus complexes, gay conversion therapy
and lousy stinking yellow fairies
so no need to saddle me
with the least of it all

Water Cycle Woes

polystyrene lid
peels off curled paper lip of cup
set aside, allowing contents to cool
heat dissipates
steams into air
one minute passes
coffee’s hot rush taste-tested
deemed clement
lid picked up to be fitted precisely
sealed into place
hot condensation
piss-warm on the plastic #6 underside
has cooled to liquid
water dribbles across fingers and knuckles
and if cautions are not taken
will drip to pages
of the notebook or novel
little drop soaking in
spreading wide
smearing words
weakening thin sheets
that must be hastily raised
fluttered to and fro and blown dry
as hand is wiped on denim
and then
after all that
the sudden flash of anger
at the unexpected
in the first bright rays of caffeine
illuminating the night-grey mind
burning off fog and hoarfrost
can the cap be clamped firm back upon the cup

Taxes and Fees

Based in territory
inelegant divisions
of here and there
a battle of position
of risk
assessments made and passed
neighbor pitted against neighbor
system of equality under taxation
of people pulling together
for the mutual good
dismembered
by where you dwell
shall you be charged
by hazard judged
earth, wind, fire, flood
conflagration of dry land
hurricane, tornado
gale force
rising sea
quaking ground
cresting river
zoned, districted
pay the fee assigned
unshared the burden
society undone

Bed Bug Bites and Republican Shites

Gone and I believed
never to return
septic ideologies
eradicated disease
verminous infestation
yet in waves of frustration
each once more
breaking again
upon the shore
frothing mad
unpredictable currents
soul-sucking riptides
to tear away the spirit
leaving rotting flotsam in the surf
and so they are back
Nazis, pertussis and measles
fascist bedbugs undercover
sick in the street
bent double hacking
whooping feverish covered
in itching sores, swollen red
but this is the least of worries
as ahead the ovens and showers
await their encore

Wither Weather

If we do not see the beauty
in ruin and splendorous rot
then we are best prepared
when we are prepared
to look away, to turn our backs
for if not in ignorant bliss
then what we are about to see
all of us soon witness, in our sight
is agony’s list
misery’s majesty
her step by step of pain and death
extinction’s irrevocable proposition
ground down upon our arrogance
as in blind denial, unified we sing
all is carefree
all is fine
all is song, women and wine
until the record in heat warps and bubbles
the Earth, refusing the dance, crosses its legs
and the vineyards in drought do wither

Darkness Saves

nacreous necrosis of roses
bleeding across borders
their last venomous gasp
surge, swirl
the seething kaleidoscope
reel, roil
the wreathing tourniquet
chromatose decay
brain dead
convoluted gray
leached of vim and verve
beyond the vivid curve
spectral vision fail
shades pulled
close out the light
no rage
no fight
dying only
endless night

Street Tree

Parrots in the carrotwood
perched on and hung from boughs
comes a shower of husk and seed
brown, red rain of hail clattering against steel
automobile parked below
the bounty borne of branches
owner of vehicle rushes in
smacks lead pipe upon the gray-barked bole
scored in layers of gang-carved graffiti
rapping repeatedly
birds screeching outrage fly
burst of flapping emerald fury skyward
discontent, settling on power lines in rows
baleful eyes cast downward
watching and waiting
ever patient, ever hungry
their claim, their stake
a call to battle made
returning in greater numbers
reinforcements: squawking, rasping, chittering
war upon man planned on high
and soon the descent
into the tree’s plentiful store
and in the aftermath
a bellyful of victory
a beamer shellacked in shit