faces

by

if they ever had a life…

digital decoupage cwmartin 2012

caged
humans
with beasts
devouring
their souls
once
walked
our streets
as school children
laughing with peers
listening
to teachers
with the same
wide-eyed dreams
of  tomorrow
as all
but
soon
so very
soon
those dreams
became
the rusty stairwells
leading to rooms
of decaying thought
where prostitute hopes
lying on beds
of desperation
festering
with bedsore dreams
were offered
a new way
of living
with
a simple
price of
one’s
soul

by

cartoon characters…

childhood fears
were cleverly
woven into
the press releases
conjuring up
the boogeyman
in every corner
of the globe
you need not fear
underdog is here
or
at least
his appointed
political proxy
was mumbled
by the crowd
under their breaths
or maybe they were
gasps
watching
grown men
play visual chicken
for the television camera
you know
where
if you smile
or
show approval
you lose the election
and
all the electoral votes
for the next
four years
but the way
things are going
there won’t be
anyone
to govern

 

by

scars…

invisible wounds
lasered into the core
of the human soul
injuries so painful
they must be
denied
to avert death’s sullen
smirk of reproach
and
satisfaction
of  paralyzing
a life
with
hapless playground words
that
echo loudly
into conscious moments
of today

This poem is dedicated to my friend Lisa ( http://alienhippy.wordpress.com)

by

a shower and a shave…

waking
before gravity
the lines around
his eyes
were less
prominent
a quick glance
in the mirror
would have
convinced him
that time
had chosen
to be kind
to him
but
shaving
seemed to awaken
gravity
and
before the last
swipe of the blade
age
had found
his face
and each line
returned
to its
place
and he
with resentful grace
accepted his place
in death’s
queue

by

with apologies to carly simon…

pie in de face
pie in de face
i hope de man don’t come out
and toss de pie in de face
mister murdock he was talkin’
and we’re feelin’ a little spaced
just in that moment me see man
jumping with de cream pie
well de man come down with it
waiting dere in parliament
when he hear ’bout dose many stories
de man toss the pie in de face

by

spirit of my love…


i see you
in the night sky
outlined in a pattern
of stars
i hear your voice
when the wind
blows through
the tall pines
i feel your lips
against mine
when the rain falls
gently in the spring
and yet
i feel alone
as i walk
from day to day
a shadow
cast by my own
yesterdays

by

make-up artists….

Image from trendland.net...Julie Begin

unlike
surgeons
that repair
systems
make- up artists
conceal the ugliness
under layers
of false concern
and
powder puff words
putting on
understanding
as a foundation
for their actions
without
careful observation
the results
appear
the same
but
in the harsh rain
of reality
the make-up
comes off
and
the ugly truth
remains

by

been stared at blues…

copyright cwmartin 2011

i ain’t so dumb
i been to school
i’ve seen all kinds
of fancy fools
they read their books
and drink their wine
they pass their time
like all of us
sitting on
an invisible bus
travelling faster
all the time
destination undefined
snapping photos
as they go
do they really
see themselves
as i see you
and you see me
or are they blind
to humankind
and the fate
that binds us all
i see you staring
at my clothes
i see your thoughts
within your eyes
but there’s one thing
that you should know
i ain’t so dumb
i been to school
i’ve seen all kinds
of fancy fools
they read their books
just like you

by

in defense of self…

for almost
an entire second
the soft underside
of her original emotions
of caring
and
empathy
were exposed
in her eyes
before
the hard
defensive shell
realigned
her spine
stiffening her posture
past pain
of
unhealed wounds
tho
the years since
were many
so
she continued
to
measure his vitals
detached
from this moment
evaluating
a car mechanic
in latex gloves
transcribing notes
onto a computer
whose screen
reflected
more
emotion
than she