unadulterated world history…

unadulterated world history

bathroom walls
the annotated history
of
a nation
written
in
urban hieroglyphics
with
rural dialects
emerging
from
the stalls
the unedited
underlying
hate
and
ignorance
of
a nation’s people
published
by
anonymous

 

not what we give…

not what we give

an old woman
embarrassed
but
desperate
whispered
from
a night
darkened doorway
for
alms
our guide
noted
how humiliating
this was
for her
but
assured us
as he stepped
away
from her
that
in his country
people
look out
for
one another
unlike
where
we
came from
it was then
i recalled
lowell’s
vision of sir launfal
and tho
i had little to offer
i had much to share
and shared
the gift
i had

 

 

rehabilitation center…

rehabilitation center

i suppose
you’d find it hard
to believe
that
at my age
i can 
easily
climb
to
my treehouse
but
i can
and
do
it’s where
i go
to be alone
with
my thoughts
trying to
make sense
of
the senseless
or
finish a dream
that
i didn’t want
to end
i’ve been going there
for years
whenever life
becomes chaotic
or
just too depressing
for words
i go there
for
a little
r&r
now
if for some reason
you can’t recall
your childhood
treehouse
or
hiding place
you may want
to increase
your cognitive load
and
reconstruct it
you’d be surprised
how much
magical healing
is
still there

 

 

searching for death…

searching for death

you know them
the ones walking
on
the edge of existence
with lives
emptied
of
hope
and
purpose
going through
survival rituals
perpetuating
the meaningless
ignored
by those
who should care
those
good
christian souls
who
for
some reason
are unable
to see them
and
extend
a helping hand
christians
no doubt
baptized
in
dirty
bath water

 

 

morning affirmation…

morning affirmation

before you rise
or even open
your eyes
recall a moment
of pure joy 
breathe deep
into that moment
fill your body
with its radiance
and
let that purity
sustain you
throughout the day

 

 

disassembled…

fortuitous clockworks

lord
that child is
always taking things
apart
can’t accept
what is
has to know
how things work
and
wants to know
the why
of
everything
ain’t never gonna 
fit in
oh
my goodness
did you see
the wonderful thing
that child
just made

 

 

sorry we’re restructuring our workforce…

Sorry your services

child
you’ve been born
with
a losing hand
the cards
mankind has dealt
you
ain’t got nothing
but
a jester
and
an ace of spades
oh i know
your parents
were encouraged
by
the government
to have you
join
the human race
but
that was when
the replacement rate
was
below 2.1
so
you were
necessary
to
meet societal needs
however
that was before
we had the new chatbots
and
humanoid robots
hell kid
i remember
when that stuff
was just
science fiction
so
now
it would appear
that
your services
are
no longer
required
well
unless
you’d consider
becoming
military
a cyborg