Drinking black coffee out of Delta cups The cheap seats listening to Empire Burlesque Mixed metaphors crawling in the night Still pondering why a raven is like a writing desk
Dislodged tea parties & cries of Nevermore The world swiftly swirling all around me Reducing myself into my words Hiding now within punctuation & necessity
Unsure of our place in time Triangulations are stretch marks on the soul Society wants me to be all shiny But more often than not, I’m tired & dull
Where do we find our inspirations The formulations upon our existence Personalities discarded to the rubbish pile Pushing us further away within time & distance
Seeking a spiritual remedy For my soul isn’t quite whole Burnt out & emotionally drained Tea cup’s empty & I’m no longer in control
Midcentury motif & I’m peeling paint Shrinking violets & closing in walls Pushing back against our growing pains Energy to create, but my life remains a free fall
The summer is already sweltering
I’m trying to survive, so I have nothing on
The neighbor lady won’t stop staring
Perhaps I shouldn’t be out here watering my lawn

Finding refuge in my dreams Traipsing through Baudelaire’s flowers I sing a silent dirge to my soul Tracing her petals within Summer’s shower
Caught in the currents of missteps Former words no longer voiced Lightness of a delicate vision We heard the morning’s rain rejoice
Politely declining a dreadful umbrella Walking out, always been man enough to weep Soaked; tears all the way through Drowning; maybe now the sunset will let me sleep
Hanging out a local’s joint Homegrown & authentically bonafide The rupture of a coming Summer Basking in the heights of a rising tide The heartbreak of loving a society girl Though it’s worse when you realize That lovely creature never lied
Finding the energy to jump up To start the day in the sunshine Collecting smiles from fresh faces & always returning to the love that’s mine
Pouring another coffee to revive my soul The blacker the better; deeper than the sea Knowing secrets which youth will always deny That happiness is real & it’s forever free
Nonsense & miscalculations they always spew For they see glitter & everything they never tried But experience will tell you simple is better & anything worth fighting for is kept on the inside
Snark doesn’t make you what you want to be You’re infatuated with being cool throughout Constantly proving your wit for all to see Reality is you’re hiding & putting your soul in doubt
Sitting here at the end of the world Running my fingers through the sand Watching the weight of the waves Finally time is a theory I can understand
Stripped down without societal guilt Seeking answers down along the shore Confused it took me all these years Yet, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still more
I know you don’t want to be looked upon
But I can’t help keeping your beauty in view
You feel self-conscious
Though I’m whole heartedly in love with you
Please do not hinder my sight
I want you to always be at my side
You’re the nearest thing to perfection
I’ll be devastated if you run off & hide
Welcome the heat Sunshine reigning down Everyone loses clothing Summer finally around Ice cold drink clinks Leaning into my relaxing smile Allowing for a subtle tan Get used to it, gonna be awhile
Quiet, unassuming Knee deep in your chores Content in your blessings But once dreamed of more Passion fizzled with stress Domestically kept & cared Cloaked in suburban life But I see beauty in there
Discounting the overland wages
Discarded notions of an empty word
Dripping coffee on innocently blank pages
Drudging toward all the invocations misheard
I’m trying to listen to your body Trying to feel my way to your heart I’m looking to recover my innocence That which I lost from the start
I’m decidedly envious of your hands For they always remain with you Forever within reach of your flesh When I must bow & bid thee adieu
I’m continuously jealous of your locket & the home it has been given to rest The natural glories akin to Heaven God alone could bestow such a treasured chest
Dancing in a moody cabaret Your hand in mine Wondering your thoughts Your soul I can’t define Clutching your hip Feeling your energy now Falling without remorse Unrestrained; anything you’ll allow
Stretching yoga to Hello Nasty Bending this body in awkward positions Head bobs & an elderly b-boy stance Personal history leads me to contrition
Doc says my ticker isn’t what it once was My mind is young, but I’m not at my peak Slowly degrading upon each sunrise Not quite old, yet bordering on antique
“I’m tired, people. I’m tired of everything. I’m tired of hate. I’m tired of politics.
I’m tired of living behind an eyepatch because I need to protect my family.
I’m tired of aggressive misappropriations. I’m tired of zealots. I’m tired of ignorance leading the day. I’m tired of stupid people having really stupid opinions.
This world is going to hell & I don’t want to go for that ride.
We’ve backed ourselves into a corner & now we can only choose evil. It’s heartbreaking & stressful.
Those who know me know that I haven’t been myself lately.
This is a dark period for our society. We will not look back on this time fondly. There is a lot of pain out there.
If you do not condemn the hate, then you are accepting it. Love is not enough. It is not us & them. This is agendas. This is the media choosing what they want to tell the public to support their own ideals.
Take a moment to decide how you want to live your life.
I choose to not be part of any group. I do not represent anyone outside of myself. I am me. Judge me for my own actions.
I will do my best to honor you in the same fashion.”
I wrote this in the fall of 2016. We have changed nothing since then. We still are choosing political parties and special interest groups over our children and neighbors. What will it take for us to learn?
These are the only days we can still see
Taking strides forward whether or not it rains
Dry rotted ponchos & other survival gear
Though its through our capacity to forgive that we’ll remain
Love & heartbreak do little to assuage the guilt
Where we were sullen & hoping to save our souls
Marooned far past the realms of sanity
Peeling the plastered propaganda on Bikini Atoll
Those were among the days we lost them When we were doomed to the bomb shelter Cast aside by the rising tide of modernity Drowning in memories of the last time I felt her
Just wanting these eyes to close & slowly linger Fatigue from society & the domesticated sheep Intentionally & lightly dipping her ginger fingers Focused breaths when you only wish to sleep
True to life, but hard to digest the pain
Adversity compounded living without rest
Altered dreams when slumbers can’t remain
Been ages since she authentically felt her best
Time to float off into another world
Close your eyes & drift forever away
Within silent storms of a castaway girl
Reimagining visions before finding the day
Running headlong into the woods
With your meaningless tropes
Escaping any notion of your gaze
Slipping confinement & your stubborn hope
Never wished to be dubbed “wild”
At least not in your repetitive sense
Feeling numb to your expectations
Not remaining to hear your bland defense
Each step leads me further on my trek
Compounding the rules I unwittingly defied
Down the trail & away from your excuses
I didn’t listen, but I’m sure it’s all justified
Timid changes to the way we survive
Ducking our heads when the water finally rises
Perpetual fatigue ponders if we’re still alive
Each heartbeat wrapped within fervent surprises
Another day emerges from the absence of light
This mug of swill – my only source of heat
Creaking past the endless repetition of night
Punch drunk, but still standing; never admitting defeat
The impossibilities of transcribing the heart Finding the usual tricks do less than impress Flustered; tripping over language Like when you see Summer’s first sundress
Yet we still have to exist in nature Bodies moving slowly as the sun rises Love’s hibernation deliberately stretched The disguises that passion often emphasizes
Cautiously keeping patience in this heat As the mercury continuously expands Rushing to the shore to discover relief Risking the mirage & being burnt by the sand
On the shores of Ol’ Patagonia While the citizens did sleep Youthful fear of affection Yet into the woods, they silently creep
Don’t let on how you feel For you might get what you want The pain of admitting you care & perchance it might forever haunt
The burden of carrying embarrassment & possibly feeling regret this long Thy youth’s clear true love But hindsight tells me I was wrong
For I wasn’t brave enough to trust Too busy being incorrect by name Fear welling into my soul But I loved her all the same
It’s not fair to bring up old times Immaturity & self-reject are not a virtue I don’t deserve her thoughts nor sentiments In the end, never good enough for you
Still thinking of what might’ve been Or an excuse to freshly misbehave Angst & teenaged awkwardness Take a shot & take it all to my grave
The gentle fog of last night’s revelry
Walking the streets before the sun
Overcorrecting the crooked events
Getting myself right before the day’s begun
Dreamscapes fading in these early hours
Scars to tell tales of an alternate narrative
Truth impedes the recital of our union
Clinging to our bodies not always so imperative
Setting the scene amidst several libations
Resulting in sloppy notes from the underground
These aren’t mundane epitaphs from stone
Rather just trinkets for creation to remain unbound
Brushing the record as it goes ‘round Morning comes faster when you can’t sleep Sipping the tepid coffee down to the grounds Delirious; mind wandering depths so deep
Trying to move your body; needing a gentle stretch What more to be done when you can’t think Misinterpreting grumpiness for ravings of a wretch Settle down; give me a moment for another drink
Wish goodbye to frumpy politicians & their senile glances Robber baron approach to public service After we gave them too many chances
I don’t care for your foreign correspondents Time to stay home & let the meek be the victors War machines don’t benefit those who march Deceit & impropriety measured upon the Richter’s
I don’t understand disdain for fellow humans I don’t care if you worship in a synagogue or under a steeple In the end, we’re all God’s children Here on Earth, we must remember it’s We The People
Jesus was a rouge agent Calling out institutions woefully unjust Up-ending currents & the status quo Powers that be & reigning corporate trusts
Holding fast in the face of arbitrary traditions We won’t look to long at your offbeat proclivities Unnerved authenticity & outspoken truth But they’ll chalk it up as additional incivility
Looking again to God, but knowing She won’t talk Red-lettered honesty; realism against expectation Unvarnished tales of the meekest souls Rapt against our most quietly brave ministrations
Men are the root of most of our evils Blatantly sucking out the formidable joys Loud & egotistically neutering themselves They can’t help but systematically destroy
Yet, we’re told of the biblical herrings But we must reject any & all hate In the face of most adversities We still have women who manage to create
Can we puncture our transcendent eyes
Feeling fantasies no one can understand
Trapped behind responsibility & expectation
Failing to grasp foundations as we planned
The difference in our souls transmit
Expounded by the beatings of our hearts
Revolutions begin when the cerebral are tired
But their might will never sever our parts
You cannot be weak if you’re truly weird
There’s no time for the molecules to rearrange
These burdens of an unimaginative society
Simply cannot fathom the depth of how you’re strange
I’m the footnote to your memory Everyone will remember how you touched their soul I’m just the quiet guy in the background Working hard to help make your vision whole
I’m not the one to be seen nor heard But to fade away when they extinguish the lights Forgotten once the dream falls to recess Sealed once we find our departing flights
I never wished to distract from you I humbly serve your silent grace No aim to conjure something more Merely to bask in beautiful refraction of your face
Scars last when everything else fades away A juvenile memory from the long, soft coast Only those remaining with a raspy voice Remind you they don’t make homes for ghosts
Yardarms swing with the coming storm The moored ships rock on the rising waves Only those tied loose will withstand the blow Sailors don’t have tombstones to adorn a grave
Seeing that red sky on the horizon Knowing those clocks are about to tock Silent shanties are just lyrical runes A quiet prayer before we cross the dock
Sorry, but I can’t stay here any longer
It’s once again time to return to the sea
Home aboard that damned iron boat
Sold my soul, so now I’m no longer free
The winds foretell the secrets to come & that there are no innocents after the war Footprints left in the muddy ground Muted whispers we were never waiting for
Raincoats do little to lighten the mood So we stay away from the elements Waiting for drier days to participate Shore leave was no more than an accident
Hiding under the guise of tradition A small man standing atop a pagan tower Embracing ancient laws full of flaws From which you exert all your immoral power
In a reversal & dissent from my juvenile thought I dismiss such thought as stale as Babylon There’s no place in a progressive society For mindsets as negative as an electron
I’ve learned a lot in my time here on Earth Now I know what gets her hotter than Wasabi It’s as simple as treating women as equals Instead of deepthroating the code of Hammurabi
Surrounding myself with ancient friends Wisdom & experiences laid upon my shelf Bare for all to quietly consume Providing a chance for a better version of self
Absorbing past lives without pause Silhouettes of women from long ago Angst from existential rights in time Visions of dreams I wish to forgo
These books are mere placeholders For the contents of my heart upon hardwood Gentle reminders of our former intellect & the hope we might return to being good
“Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor… Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.”
–Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Don’t look her in the eye For it might tip your move Just a simple guy With nothing to prove She wants nothing from you & your humble ways Society envies her Stack that against the strays Don’t show her any interest & she’ll question her worth Twisting this back on you Like you’re the last man on earth Keep to yourself Don’t be any more than polite She’ll come calling With a need for you to quench her plight
It is not a sin, no matter what they say For love triumph over all — beyond how we explain For truth is greater than words Thus loyalty & devotion shall forever remain
I’m not worried what the preacher says For he doesn’t understand our match Too ancient to grasp our harmonization He has his own itch he can’t scratch
All that matters is how we feel inside True love is not a notion they can reject Our bodies & souls eternally intertwined Upon a higher calling our passion connects
You don’t see me when you look my way Like a ghost – I just don’t seem to appear Faded into the background of life Unable to compete with all you hold dear
My kind smile & open arms aren’t a reality Merely static in your fashion-conscious day I’m over here trying to catch your eye Yet my shadow is not even in your way
What more can I do to attract you
The uncool of America Not enough flash Eagerly & quietly industrious But we’re still short on cash
You’re out here ridin’ high on your horse I’m down here with my heart broken You’re clearly oblivious to my existence I wonder if you’ll ever be woken
There’s magic in knowing the soul you cannot live without Is more precious than anything in front of you The inability to cease from a scream or shout
The seas have parted Allowing visions to reach us within earshot You can only see the beauty of a cherished soul Neither are we perfect, but we’re all we’ve got
Translucence when we slumber Taken away to the shores of our dreams The impossible comfort of paradise Allowing for beliefs to be more than they seem
Why are we out here struggling
Working our asses off to make ends meet
Inflation keeps on rising
Can only afford to walk down the street
Searching for the righteous path
So I won’t hinder my sisters & brothers
Don’t want to dislodge Oliver’s bowl
Please Mr. President, may I have another?
But he’s in the back, fiddling slowly
Inhaling the fumes from foreign petroleum
While the value of the dollar mmm drops
Loose strings dangle, but he’s not controlling ‘em
Ready to tax any of the alms we might receive
Taking our currency without any thanks
Not looked upon as human beings
Merely a vote they use as their personal piggybanks
The world can only hold so many poets
Woefully claiming Bukowski as their inspiration
Worshiping a habitual womanizer & drunk
Answering questions with little to no imagination
I’m doing my best to fill up the lines & empty spaces
With these ink splotches spreading upon the page
Distinct notions of what I believe to be right
But I’m only displaying the curmudgeon side of my age
Shove off from those heroes & clip art stick figures
We need fresh voices with an authentic feel
No more grave-robbing stale words & artifacts
We need to release the future & embrace what’s real
Crafting words & dilapidated feelings Withdrawing the essence of existence Distilling the meaning of love’s texture To stir my soul to our mutual subsistence
The passing of time is a mixed blessing Tapping your foot with your vision blurred Doing our best, but remaining guilty Still searching for a way to be cured
Wrapping wrists around the tarnished rosary Youthful dreams faded from when I wanted to be a saint My heart still ticks, albeit a little weaker Remembering those days, but the voices now faint
Perfection laid out on satin sheets
Beauty dripping away piece by piece
Every dream slipped right through
Life & loss masked by laughing creases
He said you were everything he desired
Burning deep in his soul, but you refused
Moving too fast to stop & notice him
Yet you cry foul, saying you were abused
The sun rises no matter who is pained
Recall broken hearts when you’re the cause
Plump out your pretty pink lips
In the quiet of night, please retract your claws
Calm thyself, you know your own heart
Time to realize you’re the fatal flaw
Plastering the interweb with fragmented thought
Cultivating an insane kind of fame
Convincing an illiterate society
That you’re more than just a silly name
Penning out frivolously piddly odes
Basking in the lack of their attention span
Trying so hard to be cool, plus
Your slams make me not want to give a damn
The barely legible equivalent of an Insta-model
Don’t you know, writers write & speakers squeak
A farce played out in bits & bytes
Preying on the vapid, the stupid & the weak
You’ve grown your hipster beard
You fancy yourself as suave & dapper
But I know your dirty little secret
That you’re no PaRappa the Rapper
I’m not anywhere near perfect
Contrary to your fictitious notions
Examining me through a skewed lens
Though I’ve been cleansed by the ocean
I’m not what you think you want
Flawed in all the wrong places
Underlining fragility & a fractured soul
But you’re still focused on the pretty faces
I can’t explain all the improper deviations
I’m not what you’ve wished you might discover
You’ve transcribed me into a possibility
But I’m already tethered to my perpetual lover
Don’t sacrifice your dreams
For what probably won’t ever be
Hold tight to your illusions
For only then can life set you free
Working on this beach bod
Lived my whole life up in my head
Trying to become something lovable
Society left me mostly ignored instead
Attempts to create an unique existence
Purging the dreadful; want something more
An authentic soul bent on sincerity
Giving you my all, but you’d rather have Thor
I can’t be anything that I’m not
I’m lifting weight, going for a run
Never listen to what a fool transcends
Getting old is not any fun
The dispassionate sunshine emerges
Calling out my dulled & weary name
Feeling downtrodden so early in the morn
Slowly licked by the sun’s eternal flame
Stretching as I rise from my sheets
Needing reservoirs of coffee in times like this
Stark forms in prospective movement
Daylight meets love’s surefire kiss
Fluttering hearts on a broken trail Do you know your own soul Too many nights Too many sad songs Your mind sent off balance Thinking cursed thoughts Can you cleanse yourself Any way to be free
Searching cavernous souls
Racking what I might believe
Splitting hairs of fragrant
Ideas wandering down my sleeve
But I’m not more righteous
Than the boys down on the beat
I’m flawed, sensitive – prone to anger
Stuck in a commuting rut; weakly on repeat
There’s quiet secret I might contain
Love & passion bubbling just beneath my skin
I think in poetry, but you desire a hero
Can’t compete with expectations; our mutual chagrin
Running my fingers upon the smooth surface Keeping them always against the grain I know my way through the Redwoods They’re my protection against the dark stains
Born in the high desert among the cacti Faint echoes from mission bells of yore Great things come from fools with faith Misguided souls remain thirsty for more
Stubborn & obstinate as hardwood Needing my love to keep from being truculent Even though our touch doesn’t always soften conditions Nevertheless, she is still my favorite succulent


Waking early before the morning
Monitoring the world, as I sip my achromatic brew
The front window, my porthole to beyond
From this security, I decipher what is true
I try to formulate tangible creations
Converting inspiration into mere words
Observations from my suburban perch
Sharing stories with Poe’s bleak-hued bird
Writing down the secrets she might share
Enlivening my dreams on this quiet block
Churning thoughts into hopeful spools
In which might allow my mind to dynamically unlock
Disturbed themes & distant thrombosis A hitch in your giddy-up when it’s time for tea Transcendental visitations From dreams may come answers to our makeshift reality
Pouring over the brackish tomes with devotion Gentlemen & ladies of letters; luminaries of thought But truth doesn’t cure our limited capacities Bare harbingers of the illiterations we’ve wrought
We’ve taken ill in our posh-marked libraries Leaving fingerprints on memories we loved the most We maunder through our raging debates Knowing full well they’re all books about ghosts
Darkness creeps in on our musty resolve Syntax prescribed with an utmost surgical query Descending by the light of our candelabra If we survive, we’ll be counted amidst the weary
Dreams of pretty dancing girls
Tartan skirts & gold buckles on their shoes
Legs draped in such fine stockings
High kicks, but treasure out of view
The fantasy of a joyous party
Spirited music playing a bit loud
Fiddles & bagpipes; what a scene
You pulled me out of the dense crowd
Beauty of drinking black beer all day
My stature begins to slightly tilt
You quietly asked me for a light
But there’s no pockets in this kilt
Envisioning what the night might bring
Is it possible that you could be this real
Sharing a pint in a secluded corner
A second Guinness is considered a meal
Collecting fragments of free thought
The missing pieces of a discarded word
Unknown & forgotten loves in innerspace
Unfortunately time reduces us by a third
Intellectuals hunkered down – protecting wisdom
Throwing bones, sharpening knives & wit
Critical theories to counteract
The cultural elite reminding me I ain’t shit
But I continue down my solitary path
Creating worlds out of the persistently intangible
I return- baring all for artistic intent
But alas this vessel’s no Michelangelo
I’m still a child I don’t care for your haughty tones Such an upright citizen Plugged your soul into your phone
But I’m still telling stories of Neverland I’m the Pan – crowing wild & free Not living within your societal realms I wouldn’t want you to forget I’m forever me
I’m not worried what you think is silly or weird I’m not concerned with judgements nor opinionated chatter The world exists outside any of my control I refuse to change & become another useless natter
Let me continue on & be steadfast in being me The strength of a persevering personality Shining on with a decorous grin Jaunting forth; shunning your beliefs in reality
Its been a long, hard ride To get where we’ve found Bumps & bruises are everywhere Keeping our souls on solid ground
There’s a small humility Hidden within the secrets of Spring rain Heartache never fully goes away But what made you take a Westbound train
There’s no escaping the pressures But by embracing love we’ll be able to cope Turn towards the hearts that beat for you Open your eyes, know there’s always a semblance of hope
Picking out tunes from a lost childhood
Icons from an isolated life; memories fleeting
Can’t keep track of my overblown tragedies
My own imagination responsible for these beatings
My past is a weight, tugging at my fragile soul
Written missives, but she flew off to Ontario
Shunning my offerings for a comprehensive life
I speak of love, but she merely turns up the stereo
She said I was, “trying to conjure the ghost of Bukowski” I told her there was better writers to admire I’m not in college anymore Drinking & degrading women won’t light my fire
I’m looking for inspiration to ignite my soul A need to be revolutionized from the daily grind Normalcy & the mundane will kill my spirit I’m pushing forward to nurture & excite this weary mind
If the video doesn’t load, click the link It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) There’s a Closed Caption feature if you’d like to read the lyrics.
This world is a mess. Please take a moment to listen to Bob’s message from 58 years ago.
It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN
Darkness at the break of noon Shadows even the silver spoon The handmade blade, the child’s balloon Eclipses both the sun and moon To understand you know too soon There is no sense in trying
Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn Suicide remarks are torn From the fool’s gold mouthpiece the hollow horn Plays wasted words, proves to warn That he not busy being born is busy dying
Temptation’s page flies out the door You follow, find yourself at war Watch waterfalls of pity roar You feel to moan but unlike before You discover that you’d just be one more Person crying
So don’t fear if you hear A foreign sound to your ear It’s alright, Ma, I’m only sighing
As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don’t hate nothing at all Except hatred
Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Make everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It’s easy to see without looking too far That not much is really sacred
While preachers preach of evil fates Teachers teach that knowledge waits Can lead to hundred-dollar plates Goodness hides behind its gates But even the president of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked
An’ though the rules of the road have been lodged It’s only people’s games that you got to dodge And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it
Advertising signs they con You into thinking you’re the one That can do what’s never been done That can win what’s never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you
You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks they really found you
A question in your nerves is lit Yet you know there is no answer fit To satisfy, insure you not to quit To keep it in your mind and not forget That it is not he or she or them or it That you belong to
Although the masters make the rules For the wise men and the fools I got nothing, Ma, to live up to
For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Cultivate their flowers to be Nothing more than something they invest in
While some on principles baptized To strict party platform ties Social clubs in drag disguise Outsiders they can freely criticize Tell nothing except who to idolize And then say God bless him
While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society’s pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole That he’s in
But I mean no harm nor put fault On anyone that lives in a vault But it’s alright, Ma, if I can’t please him
Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare While money doesn’t talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony
While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer’s pride, security It blows the minds most bitterly For them that think death’s honesty Won’t fall upon them naturally Life sometimes must get lonely
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed Graveyards, false gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say okay, I have had enough what else can you show me?
And if my thought-dreams could be seen They’d probably put my head in a guillotine But it’s alright, Ma, it’s life, and life only
So you think you want to be wild But you’ve never left the city gates Living within such structure Organizing a lush, manicured fate
Pushing forth the semblance of influence Yet, outwardly needing to create a scene Dreaming of an adventurous existence & what breaking free could possibly mean
Watching the paper soak up errant coffee Spillage; correcting the bland, empty page Blocked before you wasted the elixir of life Words summoned now like a pensive sage
Freely letting loose a volley of images We are released to our new mode of narration Blinded aesthetics on a crisp winter morning Forever allowed to remain alive in short bursts of inspiration
Let me get out into the world
While everyone else is still in bed
Let me move these old bones
I need to get fresh air into my head
Too many stagnant mornings
With nothing to show for the exertion
Feeling low in my spirits
Like I’m a soul still prone to desertion
I need to discover a permanent solution
To rid my life of heartbreak & pain
I don’t want to struggle anymore
Results from my effort & not simply remain
Photo by u041eu043bu044cu0433u0430 u0412u043eu043bu043au043eu0432u0438u0446u043au0430u044f on Pexels.com
Thought it to be an easy read Yet the words were hard to digest Meaning dancing slowly in my mind Subtly creeping past the singular rest
Retracing lines to navigate ritual Where do we reform elegant words Removed from obvious transparency Heaped among the notorious & absurd
But we can still be returned to normal Reassembled without any scars of the war Truth absolved of the fictions we wrote Back to the pages I quietly implore
I admit I’m not the John Wayne type I’m not one who wants to fight Though, I’m not afraid of confrontations I’d just love rather love my woman by candlelight
I’m a sensitive soul I’ve been called needy, immature & worse I just want the time to write of my emotions Creating a universe into which we’ll fully immerse
Sitting down to write Nothing serious, just a rift I wish to give you the sunshine Through a few words to sift Leaning forward with lovely intents Though success or greatness I cannot claim A mere humble boy with a pen My heart still giddy when I whisper your name
I search for hope in the early morning
Trying to find truth before first light
Without the influence of assholes
Perpetually kept themselves in the right
This absurdity of life
Fallen into realms beyond our thought
But still we shine on for the future
This isn’t who we are; let us believe not
We can change the status of time
& act not out of debilitating fear
That we might find a way to be better
Cast out hate & return to being sincere
I don’t have pretty eyes to attract
Nor a beautiful body to distract
A middle aged, middle class white dude
with no street cred
With charm & gentlemanly conduct
instead
I’ll have to choose the proper words
To prevent from being misheard
Where did our youthful exuberance go
Closed off from a litany of feelings of truth
But I don’t want to be like them
Not worried about a bent halo or tarnished tiara
Angst of foregone conclusions
I want something of substance
Never tamed by society’s expectations
A slow, smoldering strangeness
Embracing the stature of being a little weird
Impervious to judgements of being bland
For through and through, I can only be me
Never standing for someone else’s brand
I hope to always be wild enough to be free
It’s the lost art of seduction Love her; Make her eyes roll to the back of her head Cherish her presence in your life She’ll appreciate you Make you a happy man instead
Knowing the bottom of the depths Untold theories where passion lies Encased all in a delicate French lace The truth that logic & gravity defies
Earthbound creatures can’t be understood It’s simply not in our fallible DNA Attempted in conversational tones But we’ve lost connection anyway
Trying to find a way back to the meaning Reason doesn’t apply to moments like this Disregard the pressures of our past That we might create our own sustainable bliss
Surviving by the bright light of day
Pouring coffee directly into my weary eyes
Can’t sleep at night since I must remain alert
Anxious; trying to hide my soul’s invisible cries
Gathering my wits to merely successfully exist
Waiting for the other shoe to drop & Hell to begin
Tired of cowering away in forgotten silence
Appearing strong since no one sees the enemy within
Dark clouds forming over the horizon Storms threaten to assuredly comply A day drifting away without recourse Dreams hang-dogged in the evening sky
The slow buildup to another slumber I tried to be reasonable, but I think too deep Took a leap, but might’ve been too far In the end, relegated to remaining the black sheep
Scratching your soul upon the page Following the seams beyond the thread I don’t have the caffeinated gumption So I’ll have to return to bed instead
Wandering through woven stories in my mind Nib to paper is the only way I can meditate Urgency of thought keeps me from sleep Back to brewing; morning’s way to self-medicate
Trying to be tender
Even when you’re feeling cauterized
The day’s been hard
But you come home to her ebullient eyes
Leave your frustrations outside the door
No need to bring any of that inside
Humbled by the cost of existence
Know when to be compassionate, no tint of pride
The freedom to move is vastly underrated The need to take refuge in the open air Release yourself from these modern bonds Get back out there if you still care
I reject their basic version of normalcy Those rules don’t apply as formulated Reality was never calibrated for us Mere common folk to be granulated
Refusing to remain quiet is necessary Return to nature – turn off that broadcast Be elusive, for they’re coming for you You’re necessary as long as you have a vote to cast
Dissidents wishing for anarchy Amid the noise at the city’s edge Marching toward the inevitable With blinders afixed & a solemn pledge
Roustabouts & preachers agreeing before light Yet the jury will always cry out for more Cannot tolerate the president’s folly The juxtaposition of hippies going to war
Rereading Orwell and taking notes Not going to be ruled nor romanced By an adolescent philosophy Anyone’s faulty & retched political stance
We need to think for ourselves again Too many left for dead it seems Generation of choreographed absurdity & gathering the news by sharing memes
But I have faith we can regain our promise By exposing kindness & compassion instead It is possible to lead by inspiration Instead of ruling by threats & dread
*** and another thing; a note to those in power we need to rename political parties CSPAN is the lamest way to spend an hour
Finding ourselves locked in a torrent Quietly dreaming of a harder way Searching for the proper inspiration Perhaps I’ll have something intelligent to say
I’m just a local loser with unlimited potential Most will note my life has been an utter waste Mocked & forgotten since you dismiss my face In retrospect- you pine for my notion once you got a taste