vanishing point…

an apparition
like everyone before us
we just disappear 
leaving no trace of our lives
except unread inscriptions

 

 

with some political aid…

demons get their wings
every time there’s a murder
could be a bomb
or just a mass school shooting 
doesn’t matter as long as
they are innocent young souls

 

 

 

fellow travelers…

so here we are
standing in the middle
of the road
not sure how
we all got here
but
i know
this doesn’t
end well
some people
are busy
on their iphones
or
ipads
others
wander off
the road for awhile
traveling
or
working
on one thing
or
another
but
everyone
returns
to the road
i must admit
available time
has
not
until recently
been
a factor
in
my decisions
and
i suspect
the rest of the folks
on this road
are
the same
otherwise
why would we all
be
standing
in
the middle
of
the road

 

 

dear mr adams…

what color is death
its robe is black but its face
is a chalky white
and as death approaches you
you’re told to walk towards the light
it seems one should avoid white

beyond repair…

a broken main spring
a clock that can’t be repaired
just like an old man 
whose life’s slowly winding down
but much faster than he likes

 

 

let the record show…

buried beneath
the rubble of political rhetoric
children
dying
in
the cancerous womb
of
ambition
and
greed
let the record show
as the children
cried out for help
and their bodies
were ripped apart
by assault weapons
only
self-serving words
were heard
from
washington’s marble halls
let the record show
those
who have sworn
to
serve
the nation’s people
selflessly
no longer wear
the nation’s flag
upon their lapel
but
weapons
used to kill
our children
proclaiming
the nation is second
to their quest for power
let the record show
their desire for power
is so strong
they are
willing
to devour
the entrails
of
children
born and unborn
let the record show

 

 

bodhi…

can you not hear it
the shuffling cadence of death
slow muffled drumbeats
moving ever close to you
can you can you not hear it

 

 

 

corporeal…

it’s recyclable
but there’s no refund offered
well some believe that 
there’s a promissory note
payout’s not been verified

 

 

 

the cat…

first of all
i should note
that
the cat
never seemed
to
trust me
so
when i would bring
my old friend home
from
a concert
for
he could
no longer drive
at night
i couldn’t help
but
note
that
as i helped my friend
to the door
i could see
eyes peering
at me
from the darkness
it was
the cat
and
the cat
would only enter
the doorway
after i
had left
the immediate area
now
i’m not a believer
in souls
and
such
but
i must admit
the cat
seemed to be
linked to
the old man’s soul
and
as evidence
one night
the cat did not
appear
days went by
and
still no cat
neighbors searched
as
did i
but still
no cat
i presume
the coyotes
finally got
the cat
a natural process
but
none the less
sad
oh
now for the evidence
without the cat
the old man
seemed to quickly fade
becoming more
dependent
upon others
as if
he’d lost
one
of his lives
the cat
never
appeared
and
the old man
disappeared
into
heaven’s ether
i
presume

criminal cases…

the brown bag prophet
was sheltering
from
a winter storm
in
the main library
roosting
in a mound
of
legal books
when i inquired
about
what he was doing
the prophet
said
i’m trying
to
figure out
the difference
between
involuntary manslaughter
and
first degree murder
when
the weapon used
is
words
and
whether or not
the number
of
deaths caused
is
a variable
in that determination
for example
that girl
whose words
led to a suicide
was
convicted
of
manslaughter
typhoid mary
got a 23 year
quarantine
for her
reckless behavior
a sentence
that
caused her death
by the way
so
what should
happen
to
politicians
whose words
result
in the deaths
of
thousands
and
in some cases
millions
even if
unintentional
it
would
still be
considered
manslaughter
under the law
since
it was due to
recklessness
but
given the number
of
deaths
does it transform
into
first degree murder
plus
shouldn’t those
those sworn
to
serve
be held
to
a higher standard