life

by

preparing for death…

as aunt bea
and
i
were leaving
the grocery store
a young man
from the gym
and
health spa
next door
was standing
beneath
one of those
easy-up tents
encouraging
passers-by
to visit their facility
for
a free
physical make-over
noting
how
such
a program
could provide
a rebirth of youth
aunt bea
said
there comes
a time
young man
when
you have
to admit
that the mainspring
is busted
and
no amount of winding
is going
to make
the clock
run any longer
best to
just
enjoy each tick
or
toc
as a beautiful day
one
at a time

by

servitude…

the brown bag prophet
stopped me
and
asked
where’d
you go
to
high school
i
said
a small town
in
ohio
he laughed
so
i suppose
you never heard
of
martina arroyo
who
the opera singer
world-famous
got
her own
foundation
and
such
to help
others
in the arts
his look
turned serious
as
he said
some chains
are
invisible
the
hiding
of
information
that
provides
the soul
with
pride
is
a starvation
that
forms links
of
bondage
stronger
than
steel
he handed me
a black history calendar
and
walked away

by

officer-involved shooting…

without restraint
the living
become
the dead
a pregnant mother
becomes
a police shooting
her children
become
orphans
without restraint
the orphans
become
the living dead
their mother’s
touch
a memory
wrapped
in tomorrow’s hate
and
tomorrow’s hate
grows
without
restraint

by

conscription of thought…

ideas tailor fitted
for
public consumption
developing
an
acquired taste
for
the objectionable
killing
becomes
an act of faith
or
a necessary price
to pay
for
fill-in-the-blank causes
the
sales personnel
for
these marketed callings
dress
according
to
the product
being sold
wearing
symbolic uniforms
conveying
a contractual covenant
with
soon-to-be-named
and
documented deities
official
evidence
provided
upon request
from
handwritten human text
since
deities
rarely write
but
are more than willing
to
incite
romantic writings
quite
digestible
to
a core
of
white caned followers