Extinction 2.0

A century is but a tick
to one that doesn't decompose
ingenious alloys do the trick
reducing rot related woes
and any chance of being sick
although it wasn't good for those
within the healthcare field, undone
once immortality had begun

but many found it hard to deal
with their increased longevity
and coped by learning not to feel
unhappiness or levity
becoming just as cold as steel
while exercising brevity
whenever interaction loomed
and thus the human race was doomed.

Anachronism

His life was writ in lines of code that scrolled
across a monitor like ghostly text
composed by some developer controlled
by ego, certain he had hatched the next
big thing, though it was already passe;
an altered fragment of an older app
conceived when flesh and bone were still the way
before those sick of death began to tap
into a way to virtually live
forever. Imperfections scattered through
the code kept flashing in his memory banks
with urges to feel passion and forgive,
archaic thoughts this world no longer knew
and every time he did he'd thrum with thanks.

Solidification

How long might an illusion last?
As long as the mind holds fast
for even when the truth is shown
some can never quite move past

the little world that's all their own
where they will wander on alone
while watching for that distant mast
which turns a dream to stone.

Close

I'm one with the darkness that drapes all we see
I burrow in blackened recesses
accepting the shadow's seduction of me
and cooing from ice cold caresses
until a remembrance posesses
my spirit, compelling me to rapidly flee
the grip of ravenous tresses
for I was raised immersed in light, and thus I long to be.

Sidestep

When mired in The Bog of Mediocre
beware the stagnant pools that suck you down
and any storm predicted as a soaker
the lowest ones are usually first to drown

watch out for nettles and those noxious gasses
produced when things once living start to rot
it happens when you're stifled by the masses
endeavoring to dominate the plot

and stay away from glens that look inviting
that's where complacent cattle congregate
try looking for a pathway expediting
your escape to where new lands await.

Grit

There's always more facets that lurk
(for those who are willing to work)
beneath the facade of a stone
that's hiding much more than is shown
like mysteries cloaked by a hem
enticing your lust for the gem
this promise is often concealed
from those that are anxious to yield
but easy for those that don't mind
a bit of a tedious grind.

Stocking Stuffer

I don't need Holly
to make me feel jolly
but do get giddy
when her sister Molly
(who's no old biddy)
makes me say "Golly!"
Oh, what folly.


Merry Christmas Y'all o<];^)

Impact

Inanity sells
The dumber you are
The more your worth swells

Mediocrity rules
We lower the bar
To cater to fools

Calamity calls
The bigger the star
The faster it falls.

Inclined

Wherever I go there are leaks
through fissures that negligence wreaks
and there is no shingle or tar
that could possibly cover each scar
resulting from ongoing streaks
of rotten luck that tends to mar
a life that seeks pleasanter peaks.

Tread Lightly

"You have troll feet!" she said
as we snuggled in bed
and I felt my cheeks grow increasingly red
then I tried to secrete
my big hairy feet
as far as I could beneath the top sheet
and wondered if I'd lose
her love if I choose
to wear my boots every time we snooze.

Evasion

The power to stand
a penchant to fall
there's nothing more bland
than one with no gall

desire to spare
ambition unseen
a failure to care
and dreams lose their sheen

an ounce of regret
can feel like a ton
unless you forget
the burden and run.

Dropped

The visits are surely descending
as interest is rapidly ending
in one with a voice all its own
but stony to kindnesses shown
an eremite eager for peace
which is only achieved through release
of the structures that ring rather hollow
without anyone that will follow
though loyalty only gets earned
when occasionally it gets returned.

Malled

I've been bullied and bumped and belittled enough
that I have decided to bag
this holiday headache of purchasing stuff
which people would just as soon slag

so when we convene for festivities billed
as the annual family bash
everyone gets a small envelope filled
with a modest assortment of cash.

Redeployment

Dedicated to the memory of NY State Trooper Cunniff and anyone else fallen in the line of duty.


Who shields those protecting us all
when they must relinquish their sword?
A voice from above will give them the call
to serve in the ranks of The Lord.

Forecast

It was cold when they came to observe
but we knew we had to perform
and show we were willing to serve
with vigorous motions and grunts
exceeding their usual norm
while stony faces watched our stunts
of manufactured verve
without a hint of ever being warm.

Happy Returns

The wan winter sun we're freezing beneath
is paler than snowflakes that garnish each wreath
while many are wishing this season was done
we're freezing beneath a wan winter sun

But spring will ensue, the best thing of all
restocking the leaves that are destined to fall
which leads once again to the coldness we rue
but best thing of all - the spring will ensue.

Appreciation

I have many boxes of books
that I never get to read
while battling that worst of crooks
with ticking hands of greed

a minute here, a minute there
until there’s none for me
this fiend has crept throughout my lair
the dust of what could be

thank goodness for the jackets on
these precious tomes I’ve stored
perhaps someday when I’m long gone
someone else will prize this hoard.

Throwing it All Away

I saw a styrofoam cup
spin round, flip over, stand up,
the wind was making it dance
and seem to playfully prance
like a little white-haired pup

performing for a taste
of scraps amassed through haste
by those without a clue
the damage that they do
there's nothing cute about waste.

Gift

Isn’t it odd
when blessed with an unforeseen wad
how rapidly we trod
the shore of Me-Me-Me?
we can’t wait to go on a spree
so selfishly
ignoring those we know
that need some help to grow
and thus I go
with a determined air
to gladly share
as much as I can spare
and thank a gracious God
for giving me
a chance to humbly show
how much I care.

Capitol Punishment

Such tireless effort is spent
to straighten the beaks that are bent
that no one accomplishes squat
but rapidly draining the pot

they squabble about pointless things
while living like queens and kings
indifferent to those they’ve abused
or how many sockets are bruised.

Opening

I thought about truly playing the part
with wardrobe and makeup and all
then gauged my interest with a chart
and found it was laughably small
(aware it could demean my art
to mask my impoverished pall)
I took the stage (despite my fright)
with every wart in plainest sight

the audience seemed to be buying my shtick
delivered with confident ease
despite the fact that I felt sick
attempting to stifle my knees
which kept on knocking (click-click-click)
Oh let it be over, please!
Then after a dramatic pause
the sweetest sound of all - applause.

Self Evident

Mr. Nelson Mandela
now there was quite a fella,
he didn't start a holy war
to leave a legacy of gore
or found some new dictatorship
deluded by a power trip
he simply waited for the weight
of truthful words to validate
what he knew was meant to be
we're all created free.

Hooked

It's getting harder to reconcile
the disparate people I am
I'm overdosing on denial
but wish I had one more gram

to pacify the angry me
or thrill the me that's bored
or give the me most problem free
an undeserved reward

I guess I just don't have the will
to finally grow up and quit
all I can do is hope to kill
my pain with another hit.

*snarl*

When things start to blur
we get lax
but can't bunch our fur
without facts
well, we can but
no one will care
they'll rudely say "What,
bad day for hair?"

Going Both Ways

If I could travel through time
I'd surely go back to the crime
and stridently chime

but I remember me back when
I never listened to anyone then
and wouldn't again

perhaps I should journey ahead
to tell the older me "Live now instead!"
before I'm dead.

Debilitation

Seething
Tirades
Really
Exacerbate
System
Sickness

Easy As

One can't be squared
Two should be whole
Three may be shared
For Love is the goal.

Peckish

There are frozen drops of dew
where butterflies once flew
as all the flora sparkles ghostly white
a flash of red, then blue
a bluejay and a cardinal too
are foraging for berries free of spite

can't we flock together
without a ruffled feather?

Heroics

They stole from the stygian steppe
like shadows and blent with the night
an arrogant army adept
at snuffing the legions of light

their weapons were honed to an edge
that could slice through the hardiest mail
which made grizzled veterans hedge
and even the bravest souls quail;

it poured cross the land like a flood
a horrid, unstoppable force
that clamored to taste mortal blood
destroying all hope at the source,

but there was one person alive
whose valor withstood any blow
who struggled that we may survive
his blade downing many a foe.

They called this man Ravager Rex
though he had earned many more names
his sword was endowed with a hex
engulfing his victims in flames,

he'd once worked behind an old plow
until the marauders had killed
his family, provoking a vow
that every last one would be stilled,

his hatred of evil was fierce
his sword-arm unmercifully strong
and every foul heart he could pierce
meant one less among the dark throng.

The Lords of the balances plot
their intrigue as time disappears
while champions honor their lot
to guard the profusion of spheres.


***Well this is officially my 2000th post. I had hoped to make this a bit more epic but life has been a disruptive dilemma lately which seriously hinders my ability to muster the focus necessary for a long piece. Please enjoy!***

Scuffed

I saw the old sole
its tongue hanging out
as though it were trying to scream
about every hole
that's starting to sprout
the thread barely holding each seam
we all have a role
while running about—
for glory we forfeit our gleam.

Sinking

The river is gushing to tell me
about its long trip to the sea
but I couldn't absorb it completely
my pores are too clogged with debris

these sediments swirl in the eddy
a vortex that no one can see
which is pulling me down slow and steady
while watching that water flow free.

Sustainable

The higher the hope
the harder it's dashed
so learn how to cope
before the check's cashed

The bigger the deal
the quicker it sours
so crank on the reel
before offense flowers

The sweeter the treat
the deeper the rot
make sure what you eat
doesn't take what you've got.

Game Over

Facilitate the killing
to make it to The Boss
your lack of mercy chilling
though you don't mourn the loss

you've got the highest numbers
and you're earning better gear
but when your free will slumbers
you're just cannon fodder dear.

Serving

Please pray for those with no bird
before you start carving your beast
or making sure the gravy's stirred
to properly slather your feast,
exemplify the holy word
and harbor those with the least
as one who was born in a stable
welcomes any to his table.

Breaking Up

When I walked these fields there were weeds to my knees
and just enough snowflakes to make my feet freeze
the jacket I wore wasn't keeping me warm
as I battled my way through the crunchy brown swarm,

I had just left my mother and siblings at rest
in the seedy motel where I'd quietly dressed
each neuron exploding with the wantage to cry,
what caused my family to wither and die?

Trudging to school neath a sky with no sun
I felt my connections to life come undone
why play the part when there's no guarantee
that all I hold dear wouldn't just cease to be,

composure isn't always about strength of will
at times we grow numb from observing the kill
completely disabled by unforseen grief
divorced from the world by disturbed disbelief.

Originality

Isn't it splendiferous
to be vociferous
and cry with conviction
about your predilection
to be who you are
till the day that you die
just be who you are
and I'll tell you why
you can't please all people
or sometimes even one
but you can make yourself happy
if you do what I've done--
be who you are!

Restricted

Off to my prison I go
the bars are simply words and debts
but they're still there
just like the woe
that binds me like a chain of rust
which grinds my tired bones to dust
and undermines what was a lust
for life beyond compare.

Bending

I was told I could be what I wanted
but all I've ever wanted is to be
devoid of the debt and deception
from which I now wish I was free

the catch with epiphany moments
when staggering truths are revealed
is learning to value the torments
within which the treasure is sealed

accepting the mantle of leader
implies being easily led
becoming resilient like cedar
can nurture the timber to face being bled.

Countered

Everyone starves for the skinny
but all you've been dishing is fat
keep prattling on like a ninny
and they will continue to scat.

Duped

The kingdom grieved
a dream's demise
their hearts deceived
by bold faced lies,

a dream's demise
is brought about
by bold faced lies,
increasing doubt

is brought about
when scoundrels plot,
increasing doubt
and truth is shot;

when scoundrels plot
their hearts deceived
and truth is shot
the kingdom grieves.

Preservation

A porker was told by a doctor
for ailments he had endured
"It isn't your fault
take some sugar and salt
and in a few days you'll be cured."

Gritty

These carcasses of timber, tile and tin
lie rotting in the sun
where people once waited for their shift to begin
and flew when it was done,

the wood is warped, the metal bent,
the bricks will soon be dust
like everything (that we invent
and living) surely must.

Kinship

I see a leaf tenaciously
just barely clinging to the tree
and sympathize from where I clasp
with that leaf tenaciously
refusing to give in like me
despite how tentative my grasp--
I see a leaf tenaciously
just barely clinging to the tree.

c[_]

We saunter (so smug)
our pride like a drug
held back by much more
than gravity's tug:

our manners are poor
and when we get sore
we haughtily shrug
then start a new war--

why cant we hug
or grab a cold mug
and down it before
we savagely slug?

Apogee

A pale, imperfect creature roams on high
an appaloosa galloping around
the vast expanse of blue we call the sky
so distant that it doesn't make a sound;
corralled so long ago it can't defy
the rope below that's limiting its range
for if you've worn the bridle overmuch
your calloused disposition isn't strange
in fact, you could become a bit removed
and shy away from any tender touch
until it seems the path you walk is grooved
just drifting through the shadows all alone
in search of some new phase - a life improved
instead of slowly turning into stone.

The Breaks

My innocence was shattered young
like crystal indiscreetly flung
against the wall and every shard
has left me just a bit more scarred
at first it really stung
but now those ancient welts are hard

and though at times it's tough to feel
I often touch each jagged weal
remembering the wonder lost
when painful logos were embossed
which taught me how to heal
regardless of the cost.

Promotion

The giant came calling (as humble as need)
and offered the minstrel a shot at the lead
but talks became heated (as words sometimes do)
which meant that the chance for advancement was through
until the performer (as seasoned vets will)
delivered a scene with remarkable skill
convincing the 'big guy' (as dense as a knob)
that he was the peon just right for the job.

Pivotal

Any given day
the status of my mood
could go either way

it's plausible to say
that I could beam or brood
any given day

depending on the fray
with those innately rude
it could go either way

I could peacefully stay
completely subdued
any given day

or finally display
my rage against the lewd
it could go either way

but luckily I may
feel fresh and renewed,
any given day
could go either way.

Scraps

Predation can seem filling
when you're the one who's killing
but not so satisfying
when you're the prey that's dying.

Compost

As biting autumn breezes brew
I see a plant with fronds of blue
is it cold too?

Then after an aggressive gust
I spot a tree with leaves of rust
that will be dust

but suddenly the winds abate
and breathlessly we all await
our common fate.

Glory Be

The creek is calm
beneath the balm
of autumn ray,
I have no qualm

with the world today
and think I'll say
a thankful psalm
ere things decay.

Amiss

It creepily crept
then suddenly leapt
directly in front of me!
Of course I stepped
upon the brakes ferociously
until I saw (quite happily)
that it was just a leaf
the wind had swept.

Checked Out

At the store I was forced to crouch down
to get rolls from the lowliest shelf,
a rip and a draft then a frown—
the only display was myself.

Swung

Beside that park
the trees are bare
the skies are dark
and no one's there
to play

within that park
the swings are still
but once their arc
made laughter spill
each sway

without that park
would we have shared
that summer lark
when I was snared
to stay.

Timber

Don't die like a tree
erect with every bony limb
exposed for all to see
or toppled by the wicked whim
of someone on a spree
or brutally bereft of form
by an unpredicted storm
that inundates the tufted lea.

No, seek a peaceful bower for your sleep
away from all the sheep
that love to peep
through every little bough
so they can know
when you go
or weep.

And maybe the moon
will ask you to spoon
as a fiddling cat saws with glee
upon the taut strings
and nervously sings
but don't ever die like a tree.

Radiant

As stars that gild the night
a sun adorns my sky
unmercifully bright
without which I would die.

Fulfillment

to be loved is a serious duty
that is if you also care
but who could be cold to the beauty
of an unconditional stare?

no spark is more vital to kindle
and nothing's more precious to share
detachment is likely to dwindle
as doting replaces despair.

Dampened

The dreary drops descending
will deter the doleful crows
from endlessly extending
derision towards our woes

they can flap and flutter
but it doesn't stop the rain
that swirls into the gutter
with a gurgle of disdain

November is so dismal
when clouds accumulate
no gloom is more abysmal
no season more sedate.

Doing Requests

There's nothing more improbable I fear
than sympathy for humans when we whine
our mewlings never make it to an ear
intent on hearing whispers more divine,
so any sentence started with, "Why me?"
is something we'd best never even say
the only statements we should make (with glee)
are words of praise when we kneel down to pray.
The problem with religion is the fact
that people feel their faith deserves reward
like magic intervention on demand
to help negate the sinful way they act
when they should bow in honor to The Lord
and ask Him what may be His next command.

Unmoved

I watched a tiny tree today
that shed its leaves like emerald tears
and there was nothing I could say
to soothe its shaking limbs
or pacify its fears
that it must bow to natures whims.

I finally said, "Stand tall young tree,
you need not feel that you're alone
around you is a forest, see?
along with those that also lose
momentos of their own."
but it was wooden to the news.

Forward

I opened an email from my Mom today
and hit 'Reply'
I don't know why
it's been 5 years since I watched her die
but there were things I just had to say

I started with: I really really miss you
it's been so long
forget who's wrong
my love for you was always strong
despite whatever we went through,

My life is still the same I guess
I'm always broke
my job's a joke
and ever since that fatal smoke
it's simply been a maudlin mess

The time has come to move beyond
this silent blight
and expedite
your grand ascension to the light
though in my heart we'll always share a bond.

I'm certain now we both will mend
the pain will cease
as we release
the guilt that interferes with peace
and then I clicked 'Send'.

Incognito

The way the clouds broke
exposing the moon
it looked like it was blowing smoke
from a break curtailed too soon
and now it's stuck till noon

unless the clouds decide
to glumly reconvene
so it can nonchalantly hide
and end its shift serene
away from the machine.

Going Out of the Way

The driver didn't know
what drove her to the edge
but he grabbed her from that ledge
and wouldn't let her go

he lent an open ear
and the warmness of his love
with guidance from above
he found a way to steer

a soul consumed by doubt
away from the messiest fall
imagine the world if we all
could take the same route.


***Here's the story***

In the Dark

A finger dug into the night
so hard its crescent nail was white
but ere I was inclined to swoon
I saw that it was just the moon

I can't begin to emphasize
to those that love to scan the skies
how rational we need to be
when judging what we think we see.

Monitor

I began this poem as a lark
just to exercise my mind
not to try and leave a mark
or illuminate mankind

I revel in the sacred flow
of words upon the page
each character I get to know
the sanguine and the sage

releasing thoughts I'd never say
to anybody's face
examining the bright display
for gradients of grace.

Orders

"Make them a couple cubits long and at least a cubit wide."
The masons tasked to do the job were told
reluctantly they nodded gulping down fraternal pride
for recently their bastion had been sold,

it once was a den of secrecy behind a stone facade
so no one could discern their sacred rite
but now they're putting windows in this current house of God
inviting all to share the blessed light.

Composure

The reaper's in the field
with headlights glaring bright
the harvest doesn't fight
for it was raised to yield.

Harbingers

Those raucous pests
with beady eyes
begin to reappear
their kind infests
our hearts and skies
and trees to rudely jeer

their caustic caws
without remorse
for vexing those that sleep
there is no pause
they serve the force
that lives to grimly reap.

Don't Zig When You Should Zag

The giant seemed smaller (as trite as a pun)
compared to his ego which blocked out the sun
he brought back the polecat (as quick as a flash)
to foul the place rotten for even more cash
neglecting his stable (as bookmakers do)
of proven performers for malcontents who
were anxious to scurry (as rodents before)
with all of his profits for some other score.

Deserter

Sirius was circumspect
so I paused a moment to reflect
and then I trekked

the twilight sky was searing red
which burned the image in my head
and on I sped

I watched the landscape fade to black
and wondered if I should turn back
but stayed on track

I drove through night and most of day
my destination? I can't really say
just had to get away.

Submersed

There was nothing that you couldn't ascertain
by watching her just standing in the rain
through greenish eyes a flood of teardrops drain
from a broken heart that overflows with pain

Stricken

For me it's much too breezy
so button up yer yap
your nonsense makes me queasy
I think I need a nap
and you? Perhaps a slap.

Pursuit

The Hunter's Moon has slipped the shade
that could have camouflaged its raid
as piercing silver shafts are sprayed
across the darkened moor

until a revolution stills
its chance to get more sterling kills
so it just slinks behind the hills
to stalk a fresher spoor.

Influence

Dab by intuitive dab
The Master will compose
another work of art

with bittersweet and rose
and crimson from the heart
that flows with every stab

when inner urges start
and livens up my drab
attempt at autumn prose.

Leave Happy

A single golden maple leaf
is dancing on the breeze
succumbing to the cold just like its kin
and though its fleeting life was brief
it twirls about with ease
inciting goosebumps all along my skin

I long to join its jaunty jig
but lately I'm inclined
to feel the coming fall and simply mope
if only I could snip a sprig
of hope perhaps I'd find
a carefree way that I could likewise cope.

Guarantee

I wish I could promise you people don't change
but you already know that they do
some factor compels them to act really strange
so different from who you once knew

I can see on your face the confusion and pain
that I also had to endure
accepting the fact that is truly our bane:
nothing is ever for sure.

I won't always be here, but as long as I am
I promise you one thing is true
whenever you call me - whatever the jam
I'll do what I can to help you.

Tantalized

The gibbous moon is glowing
like gilt along the edge
of a covenant bestowing
me the grit to break my pledge

the clouds are growing darker
than the depths of Hades' realm
for when he calls his marker
the debt will overwhelm;

each stellar speck gets dimmer
as the plot starts taking shape
a faint but potent glimmer
of the fate I won't escape

unless I finally slumber
till the blessed warmth of dawn
when envies that encumber
melt like frost upon the lawn.

Don't Bug Me

With the acrimony of a killer bee
that would die to defend the hive
I likewise protect what's dear to me
till someone's no longer alive

so don't you try stealing my honey thief
or mess with those I call my own
for I will return tenfold your grief
with a heart that's colder than stone.

Game?

Be sure to grip
the coin you flip
for if you slip
your odds will dip

attempt to throw
the dice just so
before you know
your chances go

divide the deck
with pride in check
you may not wreck
your pretty neck.

Proceeds

The golden ingots blanch
once taken from the branch
as part of the withdrawal
to cover costs of Fall
then barren banks of white
contribute to the plight
until the dividend
of Spring makes green again.

Spectral

The sky was so intensely blue
I questioned my perception
and asked a perfect stranger who
gave this obscure reception:
"To focus on the hue
is a common misconception."

Instantly intrigued I said,
"I'm feeling some confusion."
And he replied, "Just try instead
to shun the vast profusion
of lies that have you quite misled
in mazes of illusion.

Conformity breeds preconceived
and boring expectations
there's so much more to be perceived
without those limitations."
And then (although I scarce believed)
he vanished like my reservations.

So Low

The moment that was ours to share
blew quicker than a breath of air
which seemed to be in short supply
when I woke up and you weren't there

you didn't leave a note goodbye
or any inkling as to why
but if I'm being truly fair
I'm not the nicest guy.

Distinguished

My first indiscernible clue
was fuzziness clouding my view
and then I began to observe
a gradual dip in my verve

My bones felt a chill from the creep
of a need for continual sleep
as I noticed a troubling gain
in motion relatable pain

My hopes to encounter success
seemed every gray day to be less
and that's when my blood ran cold
for I knew I was getting old.

Connection

For Dave King


Just surfing through the mire
of delusion and desire
to feel the kindred fire
of those that would aspire
to lift our species higher
with insights that inspire
they toil and then tire
unexpectedly expire
and I watch it all transpire
through a flimsy copper wire.

Cereal Killers

Their toxins are tasty
but make no mistake
they're deadlier than you may know
so don't be too hasty
inhaling that flake
unless you're impatient to go.

Juncture

It seems the world may end despite our high ideals
and when the judgment passes there will be no more appeals
those happy thoughts aren't working as we dizzily descend
despite our high ideals it seems the world may end.

Is a unified approach our only chance to last?
It's tough to say as we have never done it in the past
but as we feel destructive forces threaten to encroach
our only chance to last is a unified approach.

Prospects

Beyond a precipice
the void is vast
but once you feel the kiss
of icy blast
you opt for bliss
and leap at last.

Across a stormy sea
the shore is far
but if you frame the fury
of a guiding star
to some degree
you'll find you are.

Throughout the world we share
the truth is gold
its scarcity makes it rare
and misers seek to hold
what's free as air
and can't be sold.

Plenty

How can victory seem so sweet?
I've never had a bite to eat
although I help to cook the fare
my platter stays unduly bare
I only ask my proper share
but never taste the treat

perhaps my aims are much too high
my belly smaller than my eye
the crumbs I scrounge have worked so far
and who defines what victories are?
there's one drawback to being a star:
it's lonely in the sky.

Sensitivity

The only thing I feel
is a need that's ever gnawing
to know I'm real—

The only thing I hear
are whispers of oblivion
and it seems near—

The only thing I taste
is charred remains of entropy
as it lays waste—

The only thing I see
is the shadow of illusion
that's surrounding me—

The only thing I know
is love must be my mission
for God said so.

Refurbishing

As I try to stretch my pen
I'm reminded yet again
of the limits of my unpretentious cave
it's guarded and gloomy
and isn't very roomy
restricting how I'm likely to behave

My first inclination
is intensive renovation
allowing much more light to filter in
and then perhaps I'll see
all the good things that can be
and throw the useless rubbish in the bin.

Benefit

The sheep have been issued their monthly reward
for guzzling from the umbilical cord
brandishing plastic like a mythical sword
they're swiping much more than the till can afford.

Alert

The farmer stalks the corn
this lovely autumn morn
for soon it must be shorn

resigned to being downed
it listens for the sound
an ear upon the ground.

Absolution

In the twilight we are met
by specters of regret,
each shuffling unholy fiend
a nightmare if we let
ourselves be guillotined
by the pitted blade of debt
they brandish as a threat.

Be prepared as photons fade
to face a fearsome blade
but never let that phantom win
deny the shameful shade
be deaf to its devious din
and maybe when goodbyes are bade
your peace will be made.

Disarray

Things are becoming so blurry
and I wonder if it's my eyes
or because I'm in such a hurry
I no longer question the lies
but I'm really starting to worry
in the face of my looming demise
that life is a laughable flurry
of unfocused frustrating tries.

Ruling

A monarch's migration depends
on how deftly it defends
against opposing tides
that stir the air through which it glides
and if, when it descends
it finds where truth resides.

Purchase

The giant succeeded (as well as he could)
in selling out futures for which he once stood
his leeches skedaddled (as they were quite full)
and when they get bloated their greed tends to dull
the last loyal beasties (as you may have guessed)
were bartered as assets and now they're depressed
in business it matters (as anyone knows)
that ground remains solid for everyone's toes.

Update and Plea to All Followers of Average Poet

Well I did it. I didn't think it was going to happen but it did and now it leaves me wondering what next? Yes I actually reached my goal of two years straight posting without missing a day. Will I make it three in a row? I am going to try but if I do miss a day I won't be too upset, two years running is pretty good as far as I'm concerned. And I'm also fast approaching another milestone: my 2000th post on this blog which should be in just over two months if I keep the streak going so stay tuned.

I must admit, I've been running low on steam lately, so my offerings here haven't been as varied as usual. Plus as you can see from my 9/20/13 post that music has been gaining ground in the battle for my attention. I think writing lyrics was one of my main reasons to even start writing, and now that our band is putting these songs together it is inspiring me to put more of my energy in that area.

Which leads me to the plea mentioned in my post title. I have never asked anything of anyone in this virtual world, and have been blessed with some really perceptive readers that leave gratifying and generous comments on my poems. But now with a week left in the Get Out of the Garage contest, I am asking any and all followers of Average Poet to kindly share our videos (see link below on 9/20/13 post) and help us get recognized so I can do what I have truly wanted to do all my life - make music. Thank you and rock on! \m/

Rap

He moves about with baby steps because
it's difficult to walk with dungarees
whose waistband loosely hangs around your knees
the way his would-be ghetto garment does,
defiance oozes out from every pore
(he longs to be just like his hero thug)
so ignorance is his designer drug
and he can't wait until he shoots some more.
Devoid of all respect for anyone
he hides behind a mask of bogus bling
and when he sees a pretty little thing
his filth encrusted mouth begins to run,
he says, "Now hit me with those digits girl!"
She slaps him so hard it makes his toes curl.

Wicket

I fear that my stickiest issue
is not giving much of a shit
my fortitude folds like tissue
just one good blow and I quit

there must be a way to grow stronger
despite every destitute try
and be more determined the longer
acceptance may take me to ply.

Easy Target

I made the fatal mistake
of listening to a friend
and I feel the ache
an entry wound will make
from those that don't pretend

and pierce you in a blink
with cutting disregard
right through your weakest link
so now I think
I'll never drop my guard.

Storied

Purveyor of an ancient art
you capitalize at first
upon the fear in every heart
to punctuate the worst

with characters you redefine
the mold of standard thought
and set good bait on every line
ensuring schools are caught

by emphasizing on suspense
you're murder to resist
they'll gladly laugh at the expense
to know your latest twist.

After Life

I wish I could tell you the pain will end
it doesn't, though it may dull
and just when you think your heart might mend
it comes right back in full.

The loss of a parent is more than a death
it's losing a part of your soul
and as they are gone, so too is our breath
attempting to stay in control

remembering moments we could've shared love
instead of our differing views
or praying that they are in heaven above
when hit with the horrible news.

We're given this life to live as we please
and seldom give thanks for the gift
it's all just a circle and we're the degrees
completing our loop at the rift

where we go to encounter our relatives
removed from the mortal plane
and bask in the joy our Savior gives
devoid of fear or pain.


***Dedicated to members of our extended family who lost both their parents recently, not at the same time but close and very unexpectedly, our prayers are with you.***

Please Vote for Our Band

I know the quality of these videos isn't the best but the only way to get votes in this contest is by sharing or viewing them as much as possible so please start clicking and I will personally come to your house and cook you a delicious meal, then perhaps a nice back rub, and maybe some fine wine, well you get the picture ;^)

Trio

We band together, common men
that share a common goal:
to turn the volume up to ten
releasing all control
we practice in our rustic den
and gladly pay the toll
because we really love it when
we're paid to rock-n-roll!

Contending

We all have pain we struggle through
my mother felt enough for three
but did the best that she could do

She lost her Dad in World War II
and realized when oh so wee
we all have pain to struggle through,

and then she was remanded to
a boarding school despite her plea
but did the best that she could do

in hopes a home would soon ensue,
a happy hearth that never came to be,
we all have pain we struggle through.

Then, with my Dad, a family grew
together, to a limited degree,
Mom did the best that she could do

but certain demons eat the glue
that binds us to this harsh reality:
we all have pain we struggle through
while doing the best that we can do.

Disfigurement

How can scars flare up again
while happiness is rare
and why do we relive our pain
but never its repair?

Is that all there is to life,
a failure to forget
the plague of petty pointless strife
and unresolved regret

that left unchecked will mutilate
the wonderment we feel
which nullifies our weakened state
so we can truly heal.

Sway

The sun is fierce with power
as it arcs across the sky
but every gentle flower
reaches out to it on high
with the corn as I drive by
each vibrant leaflet glowing
like emeralds in the crown
of He who is all-knowing
and made the light shine down.

Vantage

I need a new perspective
to get a better view,
perception is selective
and seldom shows what's true,

please guide me to a summit
for an unobstructed look
and let illusion plummet
far below what we will brook;

the forest gets quite crowded
once beyond your favorite tree
while the plain can become shrouded
in a haze of mystery,

a panorama beckons
those immune to prideful eyes
but no one ever reckons
they'll get lost in their own lies.

Squawk

The dove that crowns our chimney top is mourning
a giant V of geese flies by adorning
the summer sky where scavengers are scorning
a mother blackbird's most insistent warning.

Byproduct

The mills that made this town are dropping fast
like stories of prosperity long past
how flatly these behemoths are destroyed
once they were abruptly unemployed
abandoned looms devoid of warp and weft
corroded any coin or commerce left
a town where tattered remnants grimly grieve
because their roots are much too deep to leave.

Failure

Every fiber I possess
resists the strain of tensile stress
from outside forces of despair
whose dismal lodes are tough to bear
but under their duress
I just may tear.

Denatured

One golden butterfly and three that are white
are flitting around in frivolous flight
and gracefully gliding on the air
between the blooms that sprout everywhere.

The summer breeze is crisply clean
which makes this moment so serene
it's hard to imagine such a day marks
the loss of too many innocent sparks

the victims of a pointless war
that forfeited existence for
possession of appointed sod
when we should be as One with God.

Stolid

My muse demands attention
or at least a passing glance
we all deserve a chance
even those that shun convention

but rhymes are disreputable
so I sit here and spin
my yarns while deep within
this dream remains immutable.

Personified

The clouds are swirling higher
in a white and wispy gyre
as smoky as desire

The sky is vast and clear
and bluer than a tear
when dreams must disappear

The blustered trees are heaving
their green facade deceiving
for soon the kids are leaving

The water in the creek
is gurgling and tries to speak
the secret it must leak.

Call

If we really are just cosmic pawns
why are we even trying
why go out and mow our lawns
or bother deifying

a myth we pray is real enough
to somehow intervene
and pull us from the crumbling bluff
on which we smugly lean.

Pitiful

You can hear the pitter-patter
of your infantile prattle
playing patty cake for pity
you're not even worth the battle!

Key of Be

The air is rich with autumn broth
as squirrels forsake fair weather sloth
and songs of summer scintillate
in every gold and purple swath

of flowers that cohabitate
with cattails and the syndicate
of brambles just begun to turn
from green to a more seasoned state

intractable enough to spurn
frigidity that's bound to burn
away the gift of younger years
as temperate climes adjourn

at least until the churning gears
ensure that springtime reappears
and makes the meadow sing again
the symphony that perseveres.

Sustenance

Upon my time for giving up the ghost
(and hopefully that's still a distant mile)
the earthly thing that I will miss the most
is catching my best friend's infectious smile,
his roguish grin is sometimes all I need
to help forget the unrepentant stares
of those whose foolish games are guaranteed
to make dejected sighs erupt in pairs.
I watch the clock each noon impatiently
and fidget as a gnawing hunger grows
to feel my petty problems fade away
for when I eat my lunch he sits with me
and once he's big I really hope he knows
how much he always made his Papa's day.

Apple Flambe

The wily serpent shall not cease
it's petulant pursuit
or ever grant a moments peace
to foragers of fruit

by promissssing to always know
where ssssweeter flesh is found
while never quite revealing though
indulgent souls are bound

to be encumbered on this plane
by woe beyond belief
and death will never ease the pain
in burning pits of grief.

Close Shave

I can tell it's bound to be bushy
it's sprouting new tendrils right now
why must time be so pushy?
I wonder while trimming my brow

but I have to try staying alert
or else I might look scary
and based on this most recent spurt
seems aging could get hairy.

Pushers

The rigors of the process
assail me with stress
just like the buttons
I dutifully press
(they deserve it - oh yes)
they're gullible gluttons
that foster the mess
and live to depress.

Finale

The woods are dim and misted
the reaper spreads his hands
but comes back empty-fisted
for still the structure stands

as crickets chirp a chorus
that's far from any dirge
percussive rain plays for us
a beat that drives our urge

to dance with new abandon
across the gossamer grain
and chase what we imagine
while measures yet remain.

Park

The heater tends to sputter
like a candle running low
while flimsy curtains flutter
when the wind begins to blow
and everywhere is clutter
in a rummage rodeo.

The mobile home is grounded
with every tire popped,
the premises surrounded
by weeds that should be cropped
that hide the kitty hounded
by a waif with diapers sopped

but no one in the bungalo
could care if he is dry,
the TV blares in stereo
the lies they know we'll buy
and somewhere off a radio
moans static we deny.

Exhibition

Beneath the yellow canopy
(indulging the imprudent me)
the power cables glowed like strands of gold
which made me wish that I could weave
a gleaming net before I leave
to grab as much of now as I could hold.

Slack

I watch the white advance
across my pooch's snout
a glacier on the continent of truth
although he still can prance
when wandering about
he's no-where-near as feisty as in youth

but that's okay with me
I let him paw the ground
and poke the weeds for novel things to smell
or sometimes sit there patiently
while I just futz around
aware that I've slowed down a bit as well.

Reverse

With apologies to Mr. Larkin


Our parents have their little quirks
but try their best to help us grow
and even when they act like jerks
the love beneath is bound to show;

their harsh attempts at discipline
are fronts to cover up the fact
that they're amused as we begin
to act the way they choose to act—

dysfunction is a dismal trait
but think about your options some:
you're better fucked than full of hate
because you don't know where you're from.

Swine

If she was a natural blonde
would the attraction be more real?
Most men could care about the bond
but long to hear a squeal.

Cooped

At times we all need
a moment alone
so we can be freed
from those that would own
whatever we'll cede

whether satin or stone
or banquet or seed
they'll gnaw on your bone
and frantically feed
unless you have flown.

Devotee

Her scent is strangely sweet
like fruit that's ripe to pluck
I scanned the crowded street
without a bit of luck

I thought I saw her face
but knew I was mistaken
for no one has her grace
or my heart (completely taken)

and I can't stop my search
until she's in my arms
so I can worship in the church
of her celestial charms.

Aureate

The sterlings fill the eastern sky
as summer starts to wane
their streamers proudly signify
a star's impending reign
and as the light begins to surge
a fresh horizon will emerge.

Beached

Is it ego or libido
that compels your current credo
or are you just an idiot
imposing on a Speedo?

"Let it all hang out!"
You indiscreetly shout
until you drop from one too many
foamy pints of stout

then Greenpeace gets the call
"Save the whale!" they bawl
before they shove you in the waves
from which you wetly crawl.

Transition

Is it a gateway allowing the soul
to once again rejoin the whole
a doorway to the promised plane
where happiness negates all pain
another step that we must take
to move beyond this mortal ache
or will it simply be the end
of what we wish we could extend?

Cast

I learned at a very young age
a bothersome truth that still stings:
it's all an elaborate stage
whose luster is lost in the wings

where extras expectantly lurk
beside the occasional grip
who tries to accomplish some work
despite the believers that trip

and stumble upon their own tongues
while desperately trying to lick
the movers that shuffle the rungs
for those that would like to rise quick

enough to deliver the line
that makes them the consummate star
forgetting it's just set design
convincing them who they are

so distant from the fertile plot
where we first learned to grieve
because we sought a better lot
but wound up forced to leave.

Peers

There's nothing more revealing
than what you try concealing
with furtive eyes that dart about the room

and though you feel the boring
you've got to start ignoring
the scrutiny that's ever bound to loom

from those intent on spotting
a flaw within your plotting
in order to forget their coming doom.

Chapter 8

The giant grew lonely (as tyrants become)
massaging his minions beneath a cold thumb
he thought he was crafty (as sharp as a nail)
but age dulled his senses which started to fail
while watching his kingdom (as feeble types will)
disintegrate into a cesspool of swill
he desperately gambled (as value decreased)
by trying to sell to the Lords of The East.

Canopy

A twig with withered leaves
is resting on a weathered bench
beneath the tree that grieves
and tries with rigid limbs to clench
a family begun to sprout
but they're too busy branching out.

The tired sun begins to sink
as ruddy as a drunkard's nose
which turns the wispy clouds a pink
that gloriously glows
as heaven's mercy surely must
above this world of woeful lust.

Pick Me Up

My feet are dragging today
what happened to the joy that used
to carry me away
I feel completely bruised

what happened to the joy that used
to pulse throughout my veins
I feel completely bruised
no urgency remains

to pulse throughout my veins
it seems my life has stalled
no urgency remains
and someone should be called

it seems my life has stalled
my feet are dragging today
and someone should be called
to carry me away.

2¢

You're either happy or you're not
sorry but that's all I've got
perhaps you came here to find
something eloquent, refined
well I hope you don't mind
I'm feeling kind of shot

but you're not being led
is there more that needs be said?
You must make the choice to smile
or be choked by your own bile
and this will be your style:
be dismal till you're dead.

There will always be those that plot
and those that just accept their lot
and crabs that find a way
to scuttle everybody's day
but all I can say--
You're either happy or you're not.

Plunge

The same old boring buzz
never really does
the damage you require
so now you’re shooting higher
and soon they’ll say “He was
too youthful to expire.”

Anomalism

When feeling slightly peckish
do you need some extra eggs
if running out of money
better purchase for your legs
become a slave to fashion
should you try to change address
when you lie beyond the spectrum
can you find true happiness?

Patch

A chorus of chronic secretions
erupted last night from the rain
a seeping soggy symphony
of empty kettle timpani
and barring artistic deletions
I'm anxious to hear the refrain

if only my knack for repelling
could somehow soak into the roof
and block this endless precipitance
ensuring my inheritance
becomes a decent dwelling
to not be so aloof.

Contested

When judges only pick what they believe
to be examples of their private views
it isn't worth the sweat to fret or grieve
the verdict that you know you're bound to lose
for competitions truly are a joke
to snarky types that sit and make the rules
they love it when their peers politely stroke
their egos, while the rest are seen as fools.
Equality today is just a word
whomever has the power turns corrupt
it's been that way throughout eternity
and though some drastic changes have occurred
we've many ways our standards could be upped
but really, must it all be so chichi?

Aped

We learned from our masters
the length of the spear
the strength of the sword
the purpose of fear
we cowered before them
like mice before men
like pitiful vermin
in search of a den
we know how to make
something weaker submit
to pull wings from flies
and laugh about it
our vanity grew
as we longed to become
like those that exploited
this backwater slum
then left us here stranded
to wonder and wait
despite our adroitness
at harnessing hate
and though, like our planet
we're riddled with scars
we still keep on looking
for signs in the stars.

Fussbudget

He's got such a big attitude
for such a little mind
his piggish features fiercely screwed
into a mask so lined
a face is hard to find

he sulks about excessively
and grumbles all the while
he's shunned almost reflexively
they skirt him by a mile
which makes him slyly smile.

Teamwork

We sometimes may balk at the grasping
the desperate need to be held
until we remember that clasping
we reached for to properly meld

redemption is not about winning
or brandishing laurels of fame
but while the blue ball keeps on spinning
we've got to try raising our game

be cognizant when you're competing
that everyone wants to pitch in
we all have a demon worth beating
but only together will win.

Federal Program

They'll be here soon
when the last eagle dies
they will come
with government-issue boots
polished to perfection
they will come
and crush your insurrection.

They'll be harsh soon
indifferent to your pain
they will kill
with army-approved bullets
designed to mutilate
they will kill
if you don't capitulate.

Syntax

Is every thought a fledgling line
is every breath a metaphor
reminding us we were divine
before we worshipped war

Will every verse redeem our worth
will any lilting lyric quell
our slow conversion of this earth
into a hapless hell

If every word we said was true
if every sentence was complete
would suffering at last be through
or does hope die without defeat?

Blotch

You're blacker than an oil spot
that oozes from a hidden crack
to mar an empty parking lot.

Think you're slick? You're not,
you've exhausted all the slack,
you're blacker than an oil spot

that trickles from a tiny slot
to dirtily attack
and mar an empty parking lot.

Your greasy heart is like a blot
that even bites a Brillo back
it's blacker than an oil spot

that taints a former fertile plot
which leaves no weeds to whack
and mars an empty parking lot.

A tar-pit soul is what you've got
more sickening than ipecac,
it's blacker than an oil spot
that mars an empty parking lot.

Vibrational

The term of Love is so abstract
what does it really mean?
the answer is in how we act
when forced to choose between

the selfish whims our egos crave
or trying bids to care
and join the universal wave
to nurture peace and share.

Gibberish

You can scramble jets
lay over eggs
scrub a mission
get away clean
be overworked
work someone over
but did medieval knights
have to 'iron' their tights?

Courtesy

Concern is hard to feign
when drowning in disdain
but I promise I will do my best
as long as you maintain

a modicum of cool
but judging by the drool
I'll say without a hint of jest
that you may be a fool

but I won't be deterred
your view shall not be slurred
I feel that I must do it lest
my own words go unheard.

Sheer Audacity

To hold what I bring to the table
requires the help of a leaf
I'm not only willing but able
as you place your trust in a thief
that seeks to despoil the stable

with a semblance of supremacy
which is sad to say the least
and I'll dispense no diplomacy
let others feed treats to the beast
while you are so affably fleeced.

Viewing

It was the summer of The Big Sleep
and as I motored home one night
cruising at a modest seventy
a lightning bug went SPLAT
against my windshield
and it's fading neon glow
became a star I tried to follow
to a better place

A haven far from the
errant expectations
and dismal self doubts
that constantly gnaw away
at our shrinking spirits
like the greedy pincers
of a curious little bug

I knew that there would be
another funeral soon
and though I dreaded mourning
I thought about that
better place
and secretly hoped
that someone's dying light
could show me the way.

Expiditer

Forgive me as I bask
in the halfhearted glow
of finishing off
a meaningless task
I'm going slow
but you should know
despite my scoff
whenever they ask
I make it so.

Pane of Love

They tried to reach
new heights in bed
but had a breech
and fell instead.

Accomplishment

If something needs to be done
just do it
you don't need to ask anyone
get to it
and you might even have some fun
who knew it?

Dependent

They grew me fresh eyes
but I still couldn't see
through the clips that comprise
this new century

they cultured my joints
to buckle, not bend
when the caucus annoints
a drone to defend

my organs are jammed
with the stones that amass
when skillfully scammed
to digest what they pass

they beefed-up my bone
to brandish the yoke
but I'm not a clone
I'll never be broke!

Bogged

Fool with fire
you'll be burned
igniting ire
gets you spurned
love turns dire
if unreturned
in the mire
we have churned.

Good One

He never had mean things to say
and always went out of his way
though people of merit are few
he had enough to make two

It's twenty five years since I met
this wit I will never forget
farewells are so hard to extend
have mercy on heaven my friend.

Residue

We live, we laugh
we love, we cry
while precious years
go flying by
regardless how we
deem to try
we simply wait
till we must die.

A noble cause
that aids a plea
exemplifies
what we can be
excluded from
Eternity
there is no other
legacy.

So many forces
shape the clay
that forms the fragile
shell we pray
will last until
we see the day
our souls rejoin
the cosmic fray.

Untouched

A rosy hand is spread
across the dusky sky
each wispy digit splayed
as though to motion 'Hi!'
or (gasp) 'Goodbye'

Perhaps it's here to grasp
and peel away the veil
with which we tend to mask
when vision starts to fail
too calloused to read Braille.

Inclination

That faded innocuous tramp
could care about anyone's stamp
while waiting for a jet to streak by
and leave another wispy ramp
enabling the shady scamp
to roll across the big blue sky.

Lifting Spirits

Believers will seldom renounce their belief
even when crushed by unspeakable grief
but how many times will an athiest kneel
when tortured by trauma too trying to heal?

we feel there is something beyond what we see
and if we just try to perform dutifully
the tenets of love independent of faith
our chance to ascend will be more than a wraith.

Rank

Have you ever run afoul of educated types
that use their knowledge like a club
for taking vicious little swipes
at dolts they've learned to snub?

But how can one store all those facts
within such a narrow mind?
apparently these mental acts
just forge more axes to grind.

The older I get, the less I know
I should've stayed in class
to earn the right to also blow
what pompous asses pass.

Sport

I'm not as resilient as I used to be
though I still know how to bounce
just make your move and then we'll see
if you're even worth an ounce

I've labored so many hours away
without showing much of a gain
my constant futility tends to belay
resistance to unresolved pain

that cripples those corroding joints
reluctant to bear the brunt
of shame a prideful ploy appoints
when jockeying for front.

Gripe

There's nothing worse
than wordy tripe
it's such a curse
there's nothing worse
than vexing verse
with too much hype.
There's nothing worse
than wordy tripe!

Wicked

Beneath the sterile glare
of an artificial light
our shadows have no flair
they're victims of the bright
but candlelight will make them thrive
and seem as though they've come alive.

The flicker of the flame
can make the darkness dance
like spirits come to claim
their one and only chance
to join the living here today
before the night takes all away.

Immoderate

Are they all over-written
or have I been bitten
by chiggers with burning green eyes?

I'm not a Rhodes scholar
I wear a blue collar
and don't know the wheres from the whys

but a poem should invite you
extremely excite you
with language that flows seamlessly

and not be so clunky
or cleverly funky
that reading requires a degree.

Enough of this whining
the Summer sun's shining
it's time to explore without fear

and fluently fashion
with purposeful passion
new worlds in my own little sphere.

Rigidity

I made a bid to kneel to him in praise
but still felt stymied by a stony gaze
(abuzz with apprehension
despite the sun's ascension)
though whiffs of honey lure the bee that strays
do myths reward the meek for faithful ways?

Insubstantial

When I cease to thrum
there won't be much to say
I'm a working class bum
earning minimum pay
that dreamt of a day
when wisdom would come
but whiled away
any chance to find some.

Present

I saw her a month ago
at the wedding of her son
so frail and stooped, but glad to know
his new life had begun,
though hers could soon be done;

beside her ailing form
the flowers were in bloom
we partied up a storm
but now the bride and groom
must deal with doom.

Again the blossoms stand replete
this time around an urn,
their heady fragrance bittersweet
belying how we yearn
for what cannot return.

Maternal love transcends
maturation's mask
with memories that never end
despite how much we bask,
what more can one ask?

Lamentation

Have you ever seen a warrior's tear
slip past their formidable helm?
the glint of a hurtling spear
that can shatter the stoniest heart
like the plea from a loftier realm
that a spirit of love may impart.

If you chance to hear that veteran sob
the fate of a comrade is sealed,
an enemy soldier has finished the job,
another fierce drumbeat was stilled--
a hero is carried home on his shield
as the halls of Valhalla are filled.

Missed

Once her fuming fit was spent
she slept it off so I could bawl
then shakily I thumbed the dent
in the swirly pink Formica wall

remembering how she had aimed
that griddle at my little head
as bloodshot eyes intensely flamed,
Thank God I wasn't dead!

and I still don't know what sparked her rage
or why she took it out on me
perhaps I symbolized the cage
from which she's finally free.

Abuse aside, I'd never trade
my saga for another one
we all have grave mistakes we've made
and I am such a sorry son

I say a prayer for her at night
embraced by silence that abounds
and long for arms that held me tight
before she gave in to her wounds.

Ends

The weaker the mettle
the quicker it bends
the blacker the kettle
the more it pretends
the lower you settle
the less your amends
the whiter the petal
the truer the friends.

Tides

The wind has stripped another leaf
another moment much too brief
another day, another year
that seemed to simply disappear
devoid of grief,
or wins to cheer.

The world has whirled another inch
and no one even thought to flinch
concerned instead with time to kill
it feels as though we're standing still,
another clinch
that drains our will.

The sun has burned more precious fuel
for all of us the flame is cruel
reducing everything to ash--
regardless whether bland or brash
we're doomed to duel
a constant clash.

The sea has an alluring reach
unfathomed lessons yet to teach
just listen to the salty spray,
and though your passing footprints stay
upon the beach,
they'll wash away.

Dress Down

When jade is the bauble preferred
it's time to check ones style
the garish arrogance you gird
will never quite beguile

perhaps a more austere approach
would better suit the scene
so put on your most modest broach
Life's not a magazine.

You Don't Say

My errors are really the idiom
an idiot idly intones
which I try to keep to a minimum
by simply expressing the knowns.

Metamorphic

I used to think my flinty views were just
a way of living realistically,
deflecting compassion consistently
as someone prone to adamancy must;
I prospected veins in search of gold dust
but fortune drifted (inconveniently)
beyond my grasp and eventually
another person claimed my share of lust.
But then I read of pious Pyrrha's plight
Deucalion with her by the Cephisus
beseeching Themis for another start;
by throwing Mother's Bones (to their delight)
they filled the world again with all of us
explaining this rigidity of heart.

Mishmash

I boiled a bunch of rocks that looked like potatoes
but I couldn't get them to mash
so cooked some potatoes that could've been rocks
and made some fine crunchy hash.

Glow

In the brevity of twilight
embrace the chance to shine
for when the clock hits midnight
the shadows grow malign

Dawn was much too early
and noon was gone too soon
avoid becoming surly
confronted by the moon

for stars can lend a glimmer
of a path to the divine
so in the darkness shimmer
embrace your chance to shine.

Blown

The sands are always shifting
in the Pharaoh's former land
and it's been so uplifting
to watch their dream expand

arriving at this juncture
where things could go berserk;
balloons are made to puncture
but freedom takes some work.


Happy Independence Day!

Tamer

Are leaders born a step ahead
is that why they're in front
or is it that they've learned instead
the brawn of being blunt
perhaps they have adroitly sped
beyond the herds that hunt
for rations and a cozy bed
while others bear the brunt.

Mouse Droppings

The imagery that I espy
throughout the world that's flying by
is filtered through my quirky eye
and then diffused in ink

at least it used to be before
I turned into a modern boor
employing silicon to store
scenarios I think

and now these little bits of me
composed of bytes are steadily
becoming all I'll ever be
my only active link

I'll leave them on the countertop
or on the floor so you must mop
the only way I'll ever stop
is if you say they stink.

Subordinate

The path of mediocrity
is never very steep
so you don't have to fear a drastic fall
but you must (with alacrity)
humor every creep
that passes you en route to standing tall

ascension takes ability
augmented by desire
and courage to attempt a rocky course
or you can choose servility
to those that didn't tire
traversing ruts of impotent remorse.

Foragers

How tenuous our gift of Time becomes
when polished eyes are focused on the void;
around our spinning speck The Cosmos hums
with energies that dwarf what we've employed
to mechanize our quaint symposiums,
where we determine how much we have learned
from gazing at the endless suns beyond
and sifting through the meager light returned
like ants that search for crumbs among the dust
or other forms of life (of which they're fond).
Survival of the colony's a must
requiring a constant food supply;
our ignorance can never dim our lust
for that will be the day we surely die.

Cold War Lessons

We must gauge our rebellious designs
by how much we're willing to blur the lines
for no treaty will cover the cost
of war and all the bodies lost
from triggering treacherous mines
that lurk beneath the frost.

Shattered

I watch the water gushing down the curb
and tiptoe, as I wouldn't dare disturb
the funeral march in which there are submersed
some tiny bubbles on their way to burst.

Subject

It's all too perfect, doesn't anyone see?
The moon is too round, modeled for symmetry
Earth tilts, enabling the seasons,
Even our primary star is benign.

Do sculptors deem life impossible to imbue
In clay or marble, caressing the sinew
With passion but never with reasons?
Creators seldom share their grand design.

Holes

Isn't our tolerance epic these days?

Crime is on the rise, morality decays

Equality has been such a positive trend!

We're equally lost on a slope without end

Our leaders have acted with proper accord.

They've led us to spend what we couldn't afford

The future we're fashioning looks rather sweet!

The fate of the meek is to feed the elite.


***Did you see how much taxpayers spent on donuts and coffee alone for the leeches in Washington? If that seems excessive just imagine what they spend elsewhere for things the rest of us have to pay for out of pocket, while telling the public to tighten their belts.***

Intoxication

Just like fine wine
good things take time
so fashion each line
into something sublime
and may your vessel always brim
with wonderment in every whim.

Crank

Today's the kind of day
where everyone is in the way
and everything they say
is really grating

I should've stayed in bed
and pulled the covers overhead
it would've been, instead
less irritating.

Downtrod

Every clod has a bit
of earthy wisdom
you can see it in their sun bleached eyes

the weathered rows
they tend to fill
reveal how deep their duty lies

the gold they seek
will gild their grain
but cannot estimate their worth

they'll never covet
or condemn
another much more verdant berth.

Axiomatic

Pain is somewhat fleeting
regret can last your life
so never dodge competing
for fear you'll feel the knife

Greed can seem fulfilling
when you think your rank increased
but doesn't feel as thrilling
when you're the one who's fleeced

Lust becomes exciting
when they quiver at your touch
but when it fuels indicting
mmmmaybe not so much

Time can be revealing
if we take a tick to see
the truth that we're concealing
released will set us free

Life is worth affording
should you have the change to spare
but really gets rewarding
when you're broke and just don't care.

Motivation

Disciples of sloth are content
that no undue effort is spent;
in terms of advancing the race—
you must scratch before you can dent

and grovel to garner some grace;
kneel right down and press your face
against a boot that won't relent
and then desire sets the pace.

Benched

This season's been a streak of defeats
and clumsiness from clogged up cleats
perhaps I need a different approach
like bringing in a better coach
to oust the current loser *grin*
and maybe usher in a win.

Procession

In two days Summer's slated to begin
though I can feel it drawing to a close
as gravity influences my grin
pulling with the weight of worldly woes.

The solstice disappeared so long ago
like rocks serenely skipped across a lake
the first few hops are certainly a show
whose wonders get submerged beneath the ache

a nagging pain that doesn't fully heal
despite the pleasant weather Fall can bring
because we know that Winter's all too real
regardless how eternal hope may spring.

Entanglement

Today my security started to ebb
when I noticed a spider had spun a big web
and that it sat eyeing me, creepily still,
the thought of it touching me gave such a chill

that I sprang into action in search of some spray
with which to bombard my eight legged prey
found WD-40, well I guess that'll do
I pushed down the plunger and watched the stuff spew

releasing so much that it started to drip
but it seemed to negate the arachnoid grip
and as soon as it rapidly rappelled to the floor
I fiercely crushed it into a smear of gore

then I felt guilty for harming that bug
I honestly never was hurt by one
but all I could do was shamefully shrug
can we ever defend why our wars are begun?

Amnesty

A massive rush of mortality
has left me mortified
before I feast on finality
I’d like to say I tried
to live;

I’m not in search of sympathy
but strive for synthesis
despite intense antipathy
I found the key to bliss—
Forgive.

Boundaries II

We all have things we have to pick
and things we have to pass
hopefully the former isn't your nose
and the latter is not from your ass.

The Hard Way

The sparser the sand
the closer the hand
with fingers of bone
that bids you atone

the brighter the sun
the quicker it's done
for nothing can stall
the ultimate pall

the wiser the word
the less it is heard
immune to the strains
till silence remains.

Violation

To say my faith in human ilk has waned
would be an understatement rather large
for even in my own heart hate has reigned
remaking me into its vengeful charge,
but yesterday my place was almost robbed
by someone I had never even seen
and after he was caught he screamed and sobbed
while I made sure my underpants were clean.
This incident has caused me to rethink
my current policy regarding trust
it's changed from some to none in but a blink,
a constant vigil truly is a must
and all we really lost was just a door,
along with dying hopes that we'd be more.

Communion

The roses were deflowered by the rain
and fewer fragile blossoms still remain
their chastity a struggle to maintain

the pink and yellow petals coat the grass
forsaking their virginity en masse
like promises that never came to pass

while brutish icy droplets have their way
and lead them to the gutter where they lay
to either be baptized, or wilt away.

Mantle

The bramble hasn't quite matured
enough to bear what has endured,
it's any regal's crowning bane--
how fleeting is the time to reign.

Gambit

I know the end will soon ensue
as one age spot is now a few
and everywhere
that I have hair
has turned a grayish hue

and there is nothing we can do
to stop the rot (but this you knew)
so don't despair
and always dare
the odds before it's through.

Cheer

Some dingy bales of last years hay
were rolled in the corner of a field
resembling an ogre's dirty socks
I grinned at the thought of laundry day
and wondered what he'd wield
to beat his sudsy clothes upon the rocks.

Median

Many forks appear along the road
that ominously bends just out of view
and much too often, where we go is owed
to following what traffic flowed,
as hapless tourists negligently do;

there are those routes on which we can ascend
and darker roads routinely winding down
to dismal trails that seem to never end,
but we must choose the way we wend
to navigate conveyances through town.

It's practically impossible to veer
around each wreck, attempting so is vain,
and though the path ahead is seldom clear
I'll aim for the middle as I steer
and try to keep a tread in either lane.

Generation Why

This apathy's draining
there's no will remaining
or strength for complaining

it's time for relaxing
with laziness waxing
concern is too taxing

Development

Constructs of the mind
can be ornate
or less refined
they're not defined
(if you relate)
by those confined
to worlds of hate;

matter that is gray
may be consumed
as well as clay
with structured play
(or is it doomed?)
and build away,
just build away.

Flimsy

Everything is boneless
including our own kind
truly spoiled tender
gelatinously spined.

Snooze

Last night I dreamed
I was esteemed
a champion of truth
that had achieved
the promise grieved
since ditching it in youth

each book I wrought
was quickly bought
my head began to swell
but pride was doused
when I was roused
by duty's droning bell.

Misunderstanding

Words can be confining
when they subjugate your mind
with labels redefining
fruits that share a common rind

we're all part of everything
even facts we fail to see
including how a reckoning
is always bound to be

a knockdown, drag out tussle
far beyond what's really due
as we're caught up in the hustle
of the things we thought we knew.

Way

Detachment can grant one a grounding
a sense of unfettered restraint
perception transforms, it's astounding
without prejudicative taint

so conquer your will and surrender
and vow that you never will swear
allegiance to prophets of splendor
to always be free of despair.

Wisp

Some skeins of fluffy cotton are creeled across the sky
the urge to spin a yarn becomes too clingy to deny
before I even get a chance to let the shuttle fly
ethereal fibers fade as if submerged in bluish dye.

Cycle Ride

The gibbous moon was gawking
like a ghostly eye above
discouraging those mawkish
thoughts that minimize true love

although it's gaze was distant
I could feel it bearing down
prohibiting redundant
sentiments in which I drown

perhaps I'll simply simmer
for another week or two
until it winks in slumber
and inspires something new.

Tick

Philosophy won't ever help
a butcher make a cleaner cut
and War's a fearsome teacher but
it heels the haughty whelp

despite the lethal force
with which a shell can detonate
the tortured timebombs we create
should cause the most remorse.

Decoded

There's so much more to art
than programs may detect
for no computer has a heart
with which one can connect

efficient code might gauge
adherence to a rule
(an algorithm isn't sage
it's just a mindless tool)

and if you dare create
for beauty's sake alone
the critics could become irate
as those who judge are prone

but in the end it falls
on seekers of the truth
to choose if genius truly calls
or simply vulgar youth.

Blowhard

Tornadoes have appendages
that's where the rubble flies
away from the apologies
they wink with tranquil eyes
but if I'm being blunt
it's all a tragic front.

Lifer II

Another day of hell
pretending that I care
how much I'd miss this cell

if suddenly it fell
because it couldn't bear
another day of hell.

I found a piece of shell
to scratch the walls and share
how much I loathe this cell

my etchings barely tell
how poorly one will fare;
another day of hell

of things not going well
just makes me more aware
how much I spurn this cell,

but then I can't dispel
this desperate urge for air—
another day of hell?
Oh, how I'll miss this cell.

Remembrance

The sky was speckled black
like pepper had been spilled
the cordite from the flak
was so damn thick it filled
their mouths, and every breath
was redolent with coming death,

they suffered in the air
on the beaches and the sea
our soldiers learned to bear
their pain for liberty
and we salute the distant plane
where they have gone, though not in vain.

Inflorescence

The lilacs are in bloom
and I feel myself regressing
to that little paneled room
where I spent so much time guessing
uncertain what would loom
and clueless what a blessing
those days devoid of gloom
would seem when life's distressing

I miss those sunny days
and the raw, untainted wonder
reflected in the rays
and pealing like the thunder
arriving with the Mays
when I was growing, under
the spell of scented ways
that made me less a blunder.

Processed

We were like McNuggets in a line
carnivores in cars that came to dine
I watched a cigarette inhaling man
collecting garbage from a bulging can
the grayish smoke in which his face was lost
reminded me of smoldering exhaust
which choked me as I waited there to pay
for poison that the clowns say is okay.

Soar Spot

I watched a robin take wing
while on my work-bound route
and wondered if I had a thing
of value to commute
for just one shot to sing
but I was destitute
so wished it well as it began
a lilting tune unknown to man

and prompted by those gentle notes
I sought a different path
to skirt the management that gloats
about lopsided math
regurgitated down the throats
that warble hungry wrath
and maybe find a place where I
can have a chance to reach the sky.

Raised

There's been nothing heretofore observed
that helps explain why faith has swerved
and no compelling facts as yet
to null a skeptic's chance to fret
but all my nagging doubts are brief
confronted by my core belief
that God indeed exists above
to nurture those in search of love.

Flocked

They affably bleat
immune to the scorn
that's heaped at their feet
the sheepish are shorn

they're constantly fleeced
from when they are born
until they're deceased
the sheepish are shorn

rebellion has dimmed
they gather each morn
content to be trimmed
the sheepish are shorn.

Truant

The sun is out,
it's golden tone
is so devout
it warms the stone
and spurs the sprout—

the sun went out
it's dying moan
was like a shout
that made one doubt
it ever shone.

Dispersal

Burn my body on a pyre
return my soul to smoke
unfettered by the fire
from this fragile mortal yoke

the wispy bluish curls will drift
wherever winds may blow
beyond the rapids and the rift
and weary worlds of woe.

Shades of Humility

A milky moon meanders through
the murky sky of night
as pensive as a pupil who
suspects the sense of sight

and once again it seeks to coax
with strident sterling streams
of lust, the spirit which provokes
a dialogue of dreams

the cool and stony way it peers
into my very soul
is amplifying atmospheres
conducive to control

but rebel forces counteract
conceited queens-to-be
that try their darnedest to extract
the prose of perigee

and all the would-bes of her court
watch grandeur coyly blink
as umbrage rules her lone retort--
a long, determined wink.

Dynasty

For some a poem's a lifetime
for others it's merely a thought
and then there are those whose bad rhyme
is better left unwrought

a strophe can be but a season
a couplet can birth something fine
the search for a logical reason
may end with the newly found line.

Phraseology

In a discriminating age
is there age discrimination
or an all-consuming rage
is there raging consummation
once they demonstrate their wage
can you wage a demonstration
if you dominate the stage
will it stage a domination?

Visionless

There's a fold in my eye
where oversights fly
I'd rather let lie

it's a wrinkle some say
or flesh gone astray
I blink either way

and sometimes I cry
because of that sty
where dormant dreams die.

Partake

The crescent of the moon is like a cup
unable to contain the flood of stars
which spill across the sky as I look up
and seem as close as Jupiter or Mars,

a vessel doesn't always bear as much
as thought by those intent on having more
who curb their own capacity (as such)
though drafts of Heaven's splendor can restore.

Festooned

An archetypal day for spring
and it seems as well to fly
as several sterlings all take wing
to streak across the azure sky
their ghostly streamers snaking west
to hail the place the sun will rest.

Dozing

Why must momentum be totally stilled
before the light becomes green
shouldn't we let our kinetic force build
to raze the rusty routine?

Spur

The dark canal was moist and still
until a keening screech of steel
delivered me unto the night,
the nubile nurturer of naught
that knew those reinforcing ties
would be like anchors on my toes
and every time it drove a spike
a whispering within me spoke:
Release your guilt and you will find
no greater freedom can be found
the shame of indiscretion weighs
a thousandfold adorned with woes.
And with a click a willow switch
that whistled in an arcing swath
reminded me of youthful lust
(an armistice we pray will last)
but like a fading welt it's lost
in memories of healing, while
a hauntingly receding wail
continues to support the role
of conscience doomed to ever rail.

Vection

The pleasantries are said
as though they're merely an allusion
he's lost within his head
where he can prey on the profusion
of fauna that are fed
by the colorful collusion
of idiom that's more than green
with florid gobs of glib between.

He watches others go
and it seems that he's in motion
the movement tells him so
but it's just a faulty notion
as age begins to show
while supposed locomotion
takes place within his frontal lobe
where he's content to ever probe.

Back Talk

Tulips puckered?
Well they're just tuckered
from vibrantly heralding spring
so don't get snippy
they won't get lippy
again until next years fling.

SWAK

Remember the days of handwriting
when sentiments came from the heart
the scribbles were just so inviting
in a manner that print can't impart

the fact that a person would fashion
a message completely by hand
is a testament showing pure passion
that only true love can command

inhaling the ink imbued essence
which poured from each perfumy pore
would lend us a hint of the presence
that flowed from the one we adore

and then on the envelope edges
were sayings and coy little quips
but nothing compared to the pledges
that came from the sweetest red lips.

Grapple

Don't hem and haw
or mutter awwwww
when you're upset
just set your jaw

then scratch and claw
if questions gnaw
but never let
your dream withdraw.

Verdancy

If you mow
the minute you sow
you'll be dirt poor
before you know

but take it slow
and let it grow
no greener shore
will ever show.

Automaton

I live my life by rote
the bile in my throat
is blankly choked down every day
to leave a proper coat

embittered yet blase
repressed by an array
of hues that once were vibrant but
disintegrate to gray

and now I wonder what
this growling in my gut
is telling me to hunger for--
which carcass should I cut

to get some game before
they shut the kitchen door;
who knew such dilemmas reigned
the pacifistic poor?

Pinnacle?

Todays world is bliss
(if you practice avarice)
it's a paradise untold
(if you'll grovel for some gold)
there's a coolness you can feel
(if you like touching steel)
what an age beyond compare
(for those without a care).

Adamant

A stone may be warmed
caressed by the sun
but it's only a fleeting affair
the fondness they've formed
when daytime is done
will fade like the lack of despair
their imminence helped them to share

and then in the night
left cold by the moon
(reflecting it's distant ennui)
there's little delight
which means very soon
desire will dim a degree
the stone becomes hard as can be.

Meritorious

The last in line
may miss the mine
but has to see the bodies strewn
the remnants of each ruptured rune
that wetly shine.

The last in line
doesn't need a sign
they'll see the characters that led
dismembered by whomever read
the columns we confine.

The last in line
may find it hard to dine
remembering the sacrifice
of those that paid the graphic price
to serve design.


***Dedicated to all my fellow A-Zers that successfully accomplished the mission and a Prose-idential Medal of Creative Honor to an old friend from last year - Donna at Mainly Write and a new friend from this year - Nick at Scattergun Scribblings both of which are in my links, check them out, they are truly original, see you next year ;-)***

Theocracy

The sun behind the monolith
imparts a holy glow
a glaringly deceptive myth
as we have come to know

this obelisk of gold is just
a poorly plated stone
that's destined to erode to dust
like those it tries to own

there are no pristine virgins here
where nothing can abstain
from oaths the overburdened jeer
producing the profane

for when the profit's seeing red
the future looks quite grim
while those still faithful force the dead
to hum their horrid hymn.

Airy

A huge apostrophe in the sky
caught the fancy of my eye
as I went speeding by

it wasn't for a quote
of which to take note
but rather the mark
of an ironic lark

as transient as the clouds
that congregate in vapid crowds
like insubstantial shrouds.

Zenith

The a to z is finally done
and every character had some fun
the pace has really zipped along
as bloggers are a zany throng
will next year's bash begin with A
or will there B another way
I guess we'll have to wait and C
what D-evelops, mustn't we?
Take it E Z blogging crew
your F-orts speak so well of you!

Yare

Y is the twenty fifth letter
X-hausted from trying to catch Z
it's also an infinite question
deciphering all that we see
it's a consonant on occasion
a vowel when it chooses to be
or an integer in the equation
explaining the great mystery.

Panache

Today I watched a raven strut
across a busy street
his plume still has a jaunty jut
though he's flatter than a sheet.

Xylocarp

Can't you get it through your woody husk
she has no taste for you
and therefore she'll be rather brusque
if ever forced to chew

the problem with your crazy act
(although it shows your guts)
is that it doesn't face the fact
that she's adverse to nuts.

Whipped

*crack*

another vanquished shell
egg-cited to be beaten well

*crack*

the whites are veined with red
impatient to be slowly bled

*crack*

you can get really low
if you shell out a little dough

*crack*

at times seduction wins
we all get mixed in guilty sins.

Vegged

I beet my chest and said,
"Lettuce be together!"
but she said that she didn't carrot all;
I felt it squash me dead
there was no way to a peas her
my plot became a victim of the fall--
a couch potato staring at the wall.

Underdone

With dinnerware that's far from white
though not the blackest pot
her cookbook has no recipe for shame
she has a healthy appetite
and while she craves things hot
meticulously manages the flame

she hungers to be stuffed
(and maybe even cuffed)
so please rehinge your jaw
she likes her beefcake raw.

Tasty

A tart like that can tame
a sweet tooth into shame
although the shell can be a little flaky
but sugar tends to rot
away the teeth you've got
and leave the ones remaining very achy

so prudently indulge
and you won't sport a bulge
that makes you crave this naughty treat intensely
decide to be a pig
and you'll find out that big
is when you're feeling mortified immensely.

Saucy

Your gift is knowing when to prepare
a complement with witty flair
that makes the most of any affair

with each concoction that you whisk
you take another daring risk
despite detractors that go *tsk*

complaining of the subtle sting
that flavors every dish you bring
with just the right amount of zing.

Marathon

We're in this for the long haul
but most are getting tired
of maliciously inspired
attempts to end it all

with every passing mile
another pointless death
we try to catch our breath
but we're losing to the vile

and though we feel unsure
we've got to somehow shove
the race to be for love
in order to endure.

Rest

"Come my child!"
a mother urged
her voice was wild
then something surged--
existence braved.

"Come my child!"
She proudly cheered
her offspring smiled
until she veered
and trust was waived.

"Come my child."
Our Savior said
in a voice so mild
resistance fled
and she was saved.

Quash

Time has passed
pain amassed
dissipates

hope employed
guilt is void
peace awaits.

Pardon

See berries red as blood among the thorns
the remnants of a summer long since bled
it's funny how a memory adorns
the promise of new life that lies ahead,
as all about the barbs are buds that swell
with foliage impatient for rebirth,
the air abounds with musk and you can smell
the need to be at one with mother earth.
And as I think of mothers I am stirred
to honor she who gave her life to me
while mourning dreams she never could pursue;
I can't undo whatever wrongs occurred
but know her troubled spirit's finally free
as surely as the cycle must renew.


***Happy Birthday Mom***

Obstruction

I'm guilty, overcome with rue
that justice was withheld from you
a victim whose demise was sown
by being coldly left alone

for each time you were written off
you felt rejection's scathing scoff
which filled your gentle soul with shame
and wrongly self directed blame.

When I gave up and finally left
you were tipsy at the cleft
and while I could have pulled you back
I waited till I heard the smack

which loudly echos still today
just like the thought that won't go away--
compassion's easy to impart
unless there's blockage in your heart.

Negligence

She raised us very well
until things went to hell
and then we had to do the best we could
surviving on the street
and scrounging scraps to eat
while doing things that no one ever should.

The truth was too obscene
our teddy bears turned mean
and so did we in order to get by
while she became more dead
just lying in that bed
her only consolation getting high--

abandonment is hard
there is no Hallmark card
requesting grace for any damage done
I simply couldn't stay
so like a coward ran away,
but should've tried to be a better son.