2 poems

parables for the rhinoceros

who knew the scarecrow flew

with the gummy red

of the hippopotamus

cooling on the muddy river

when I’m walking down the street I’m looking people in the face

cause they’re humans

even the bad ones

even the criminals

even me

even you

we’re humans

isn’t it great to have problems too?

like, problems are so much fun

they really give you something to do

you know, like, if you don’t have problems

you’re just bored

how do you feel sorry for yourself

if you don’t have problems, man?

give me surrender

give me a golden give me a broken charge

give me yesterdays full of travesty

they make such good memory

give me the river that goes unnoticed

give me the rain aslant the sky

give me the smokestacks gone dormant

pastures of wide ripe grass

the church built itself

out of god

I am full of toxic information

trivia from the bottom of my heart

I know every age

I know every

age

sometimes the words come out of your mouth too fast

sometimes you’re happy that they’ve escaped

sometimes they do you proud

sometimes you hate yourself for who you are

and what you did

and what you’ll do again

but you survive

you can’t wait to see the wrinkles on your face

you can’t wait to see yourself age like the dirt

you can’t wait to be a pattern

of resistance

there was an earth here once

it was wet

with rain

the mud felt like your skin

then tomorrow collapsed

and yesterday came asking to collect

so now you’re stuck between

yesterday and tomorrow

then

and

now

***************************************

sea of tranquility

paradise climbs the ruddy fence

the split bricks choked with last year’s leaves

shrugging the lamppost

streetward

saturday night before Shakespeare goes on

the man with arms for all to see

reads the pre-show disclaimers

turn off your cell phones

give us money

enjoy the show

catfishing in lawnchairs in the pond across the street

boombox at our feet cooing 98.9     
Luther Vandross       Teddy Pendergrass           Wishful Radio

a pack of boys on a bicycle

riding the handlebars like a wheelie

in a wifebeater          swimtrunks    flip-flops with socks

the blonde boy’s hair

combed skyward

and here comes the Scottish play

the one you shouldn’t do

and it ruins everybody’s life for ten years

the actors hiding in the dressing room

under the stage

from the thunderstorms whipping the trees

with sheetmetal

all of my good friends died

it’s proof of their goodness

so thinks the naïve heart in me

that is sinking into the sea

of modern tranquility