The Art of Denial

 I guess it’s time for me to write

They brushed me off another night

You’d think the easel would be free

With all the exposure they get from me.

Bedazzled

 I love colors

Yes I do

Infatuated

With every hue

Each one fills me

With delight

I love colors

It’s black and white.

Crossover

 Were every star a word

The sky could not contain

The list of feelings stirred

When you make reason wane

Your elegance and form

Delightfully ignite

Within my soul a storm

Whose fury I invite

To wash away the pain

That lingers like a curse

As I strive to shed the plain

And join your universe.

Rise Again

 Greet the day

With a loving heart

It’s the only way

To a joyful start

The days are long

There will be grief

Keep passion strong

For life is brief.

Chronological

Every first hurts

Every second counts

Every third skirts

Putting forth an ounce

Tender

 Seven at a rip

You’re going to lose your grip

And then you’ll see just how far

Everything starts to slip

They already messed with art

Don’t expose your heart

Or they will give you such a scar

Your pride will ever smart.

Residual

Breaking bread?

Then use your head

And try some sharpened steel instead

But if you must

Clean up your dust

Or you’ll disturb the upper crust.

Disturbed

I watched a graceful swan swim by

Without a single ripple made

And thought about my life for I

Leave no traces where I wade.

Here's to 10

Decades come and go

These six went by so fast

Despite my plea to slow

They just keep rolling past

How many more I’ll get to see

Is something that’s not up to me.

Last Call

I don’t care what you want to eat

I'm tired and I’ve got aching feet

There should be fast food up the road

Have you ever pondered diet mode?

Are you looking for service with a smile

Well sorry, that’s just not my style

You’re lucky there’s any food at all

So pay your bill, it’s now last call.

😉

My belief

In keeping it brief

Has brought me luck

Or I’d be stuck.

Staging

 A pixel is a place

Where latent dreams display

Another chance at grace

Before your bones decay

There is no other site

Where promise could occur

So paint with all your might

The platform you prefer.

Expanding

 To be a cook best grow some hands

To meet your customers demands

They always want what you can’t reach

It hurts a bit, prepare to screech.

Unfeeling

 November was numbing

And not from the cold

Monotony made me lose touch

And now I’m succumbing

Losing my hold

I need stimulation so much.

Winter Tree

Spill some blood for the Winter Tree
And I will grant you wishes three
Before you make a wish beware
The price is high - do you dare?

Redirect

Lamenting where you thought you’d be
Won't change where you are
Work toward your future and you’ll see
That you can get quite far.

Splintered

Beside a house that’s filled with love
A tree will thrive and grow
Immersed in light from up above
It shelters those below

But when they’re by a house of gloom
They may find out instead
There is no shine to help them bloom
And soon they’re hollow, dead.

Clash

Amber, ochre, vermillion, umber
Are putting summer green to slumber
Until those frozen mounds of white
Bid all vibrancy good night.

Spama-lama-ding-dong

He never thought he’d find someone
That he could love online
But much to his astonishment
He witnessed the establishment
Of what some would define
As raging lust, which could be fun.

Major 7th

Is it too much to ask
For seven in a row?
The only futile task
Is the one you forego.

Resurgence

When he saw that note
He clamped on his arm
His pulse, once remote
Was surging, her charm

Had brought back to life
A heart weak and bruised
From unending strife
Of being abused.

Prolific

His words became a brush
His canvas was the screen
With colors bright and lush
He painted every scene

A pixel never made him wait
For it to slowly set
And he would never be irate
For smearing it when wet

His words became a brush
His canvas was the screen
Consumed by a creative rush
His output was obscene.

Outmatched

“I felt that.” he said
His face all red
As he watched his foe
Take over the show
Then turned to go
Straight home to bed.

Embattled

You want so bad
To find a heart
With which you can connect

The lonesome lad
Is not the part
You’re eager to perfect

You haven’t had
Much luck with art
Your muse demands respect.

Mystified

No one seems to care
I'm sinking in a bog
The mist is everywhere
I'm lost within a fog

Unhappy with the muck
That’s forcing me to slog
I curse my current luck
I'm lost within a fog.

A Lot of Nothing

Abstractions abound
Rejections resound
Connections confound
Inaction inbound.

Warm Up

Could it be?
I guess we'll see
Too early too tell
But things went well
I hope for a chance
To once again dance.

Battle Eternal

Monks gathered for the mystic rite
Their fear of reprimand profuse,
But chose instead to seek the light
And suddenly— all hell broke loose!

Some demons from a nether realm
Came surging through the altar room
They had one goal: to overwhelm
And bring about the mortals doom.

The acolytes began to chant
To send the aberrations back
In pain, the monsters started to pant
As good prevailed and quelled the attack.

Gimme That Green

The morning sunlight lingers on the lawn
And makes the grass like emeralds in the breeze
I wasn’t seeking treasure this fine dawn
But windfalls such as this the prudent seize

Imperius

A single pale centurion
Will brave the night alone
To watch the empire dream of fire and steel

And focus all its fury on
The soldiers lying prone
So they are filled with purpose they can feel.

Can It

In the garden of earthly delight
The fruit is so pleasant to eat
But those with a large appetite
May find it can be much too sweet,
For gorging on the one you pick
Can get you kind of sick

Quadruple 1

Synchronicities abound
Haunting mysteries astound
An intriguing tale is spun
On today, quadruple one.

Out There

He swore that he would wait
but she was in another state
they texted every day
and chatted when she was okay,

more pleasant and sedate.
He swore that he would wait
Despite the loneliness he felt
He wanted her, no one else

So he accepted it
Ignoring every little fit,
He swore that he would wait
Though she was in another state.

Collapsing

I forgot how to spell
My blog went to hell
Because my computer can do things so well

And now I can’t stop
Although I'm a flop
And traffic (like me) will probably drop.

Unsinkable

Drainers try to drink you
Make sure you have a plug
For when they cannot sink you
They won’t be so damn smug.

Noncombatant

How long can you go on pure will?
I’ll let you know because I’m going still
Despite a stumble now and then
I’m much too stubborn to say when

I could keep going on at length
But honestly I’m trying to save my strength
For will power can only go so far When everyone just wants to spar.

Sweet Evelyn

There’s only one I think of
That always makes me grin
Sweet Evelyn
And every time I dream of her
My head begins to spin
Sweet Evelyn

I look into the sky and see the stars shine
Even though they're so far away
And I wonder if someday she will be mine
But it’s not for me to say
Sweet Evelyn

Meant To

Why am I emphatic
My joy so automatic
When thinking of the poems that I
Can fashion from the static?

There is no apprehension
No need for intervention
I'll write until the day I die
And that’s my lone intention.

Large Withdrawal

This may sound strange
But, do I look like a bank?
Despite needing change
I try my best to be frank
And tell folks there’s no money here
While they extend their hands and sneer.

Appointed

In the twilight of the time shift
I feel a bit ahead
Through endless sands we all sift
For grains of truth that fled

A second can become a week
A minute now a year
The threat of loss controls the meek
The hour of judgement here.

Taken Aback

Everything I ever say
Is always meant in the nicest way
Unless you’ve got me seeing red
Then we’ll both regret what’s said.

Splitter

The reasons we remain
Are sometimes less-than-sane
When reason starts to wane
There will be pain

The decision to depart
Is made within your heart
This decision, like a dart
Is bound to smart.

Revolver

So, as promised, here is a strange tale that happened to me recently and it involves The Beatles, one of my all time favorite bands.

The house we live in is old, and like every aging domicile, it has a history. It turns out that the family of my wife’s first husband owned it previously, and one of them committed a murder. This was in the early 1900s, and though he was found guilty and served jail time, the gun was never found.

Fast forward to Memorial Day a few years ago, my wife says, “C'mon, we're going to the cemetery to put flowers on my mother’s grave. “ I was sitting on the bed practicing a new song that I was obsessed with learning, the song was Happiness is a Warm Gun. I still to this day don’t know why I felt I had to learn it, but I grew almost feverish with desire to do so. My ears were burning and ringing, it was very strange.

At the cemetery, after we put flowers out, I was walking over some markers that were flat on the ground, not the kind that stand up. Suddenly I saw a familiar name and said, “Hey, here’s some guy with the same name as your first husband.” Well this was when my wife told me the sordid details of his grisly crime.

A few days later, I had finished learning the song and was practicing it when it was time to walk the dog. I take him in the back yard every day and look around while he does his business, it’s always the same. On this day though my dog kept scratching the ground, so I looked and there, half buried, was what looked like a toy gun.

As soon as I picked it up I could tell by the heft, it was a real gun. After showing my wife she called a friend of ours that’s a cop. He checked it and said it was indeed a real gun, from the time frame of the murder, but that was a hundred years ago so there’s nothing they needed it for at this point.

My wife is very superstitious and insisted the gun be thrown out immediately. We went back to the cemetery and I walked around for over an hour trying to find that marker again. My ears had stopped burning and ringing, so I must have succeeded in helping him. Now I even question if I saw it in the first place.

Was I the mortal tool this spirit manipulated to expose the weapon used in his foul deed a hundred years ago? That’s up to you, the reader, to decide.

Tricked

I watched the sad charade
Being labeled a parade
By those without the eyes to see
How much things have decayed

When I was just a kid
Everything they did
Was done with so much pomp and glee
It’s sad how much we slid

The masks we're forced to wear
May cover up despair
But seem to foster apathy
Does anybody care?

Lackluster

The old me was younger
And too cavalier
To satisfy the hunger
That could have changed my here

And now, but I never listened
To what people told me,
I could have glistened
But it’s tarnished old me.

Downtown

My instincts have gotten me where I am
(In the heart of historic Nowhereville)
Embroiled in a hellacious traffic jam
With a broken down car, and it’s all uphill.

Double Dare

Why should I have to pay
To say what I want to say?
If you're handing over a fee
Then speech isn’t free,
Talk about endless greed
How much do you need?
Show the world your biggest flex
Unlimited for all on X.

Paging

I'm not here to buy or sell
Just share some ink from my well
Stop by if you’re fond of art
But scammers, don’t even start.

Tributary

Orion towers to the south
Washing stardust off his feet
While I simply smile and nod

Like the river I have a mouth
But talking is a fluid feat
And I am human, a contradictory clod.

R U OK

To find X on the map
You have to ask Y
B careful of a trap
And the C when it’s high.

Humbled

A guardsman is garbed in gold greaves
Immune to resentment or wrath
Another, with more swarthy leaves
Stands watch at the end of the path

And ivy is fetching, mid-flush
A bit winded from climbing the wall
Though seasoned, she still tends to blush
Nonplussed by the oncoming fall.

Served

“Your flagrant lack of fervor
Is unbecoming of a server
now smile and make me think you want the tip.”

She said, “I’ve been so placid
imagining you flaccid,
so keep the change and get a fucking grip.”

It was worth unemployment
to feel the enjoyment
of wiping the filthy sneer from his lip.

Help Yourself

Creation is a credit to our creed
Destruction, perhaps our darkest deed
Forgiveness is the future we should forge
Goodness, the gruel on which we gorge.

Off One

There’s a corpse in the copse
With gravel over the grave
If anyone stoops, their luck stops
They need a save from their close shave.

In the Dark

It seemed so real, but I knew
The second I saw you
That it was just a dream,
Cue the anguished scream.
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do
To bask again in your gleam.

Unfollowers

Porn bots come and go
But there’s something they should know:
I'm poorer than the average Joe—
Watch them scatter so.

Give It Up

How far is too far?
Just ask your avatar
If virtual is real enough
Then nothing leaves a scar.

How fake is too fake?
How much do you make?
Thinking no one wants your stuff
Will be your last mistake.

Clearly

Although pictures tell a tale
It’s words that help a thought prevail
And help define each crisp detail

For how can someone hope to tame
An image they would like to frame?
If something doesn’t have a name

It just becomes a formless blob
Which won’t compel a heart to throb,
Perhaps our most important job

Is finding the means to relay
Ideas in a coherent way
So clarity is what we convey.

Transfer

Some of us would love some shares
At least we’d know somebody cares
But others spurn such gestures made
Their hearts composed of brittle jade.

As data flows without remorse
Remember love is still a force
To change the world if harnessed right
So put a bit in every byte.

Taken

Take it from me
Nothing is free
Everyone seeks
To charge a fee
To the nth degree
They pinch my cheeks
And then with glee
Take it from me.

Junction

A train rumbled by
The sky began to cry
For everything you’ve done is nothing but a lie

I'd say odds are steep
That hell's your lasting keep
When your pathetic presence makes the heavens weep

Because you have a knack
For shrugging when you slack
I guess it’s finally time for you to get life back on track.

Perpetual

The pendulum
Has begun
To return
And what did we learn?

That as it does
All that was
Comes back when
It swings again.

Move On

He pondered which path he should take
He measured what moves he should make
Displeased with his constant descent
He wondered where all the miles went

Assessing uneven terrain
Can’t always alleviate pain
At times there’s not much you can do
But stub a foot digit or two

Despite being slightly delayed
He knew that his way would be made
For such is the journey of Man:
Keep going as long as you can.

Cheap

It was on sale
So I bought a loaf
Like the life of this oaf
It was stale.

Cutting Ties

The battle-axe is dull
It’s cumbersome and pitted
The warrior must mull

Should he go alone
Or keep the dimmest witted?
He sighs, loyalty prone.

Xed

People pen pathetic posts
Banal boorish bratty boasts
Tainting timelines, torching trust.
Make amendments? Many must.

Transaction

Sorry, just me
Who else could I be?
I'm not your type?
Don’t take a swipe
Love was once free
Such old fashioned tripe.

Manhandled

It’s a rough game out there
Don’t ever get confused
And think that people care
You’ll wind up being used

For those without a soul
Will foul you hard and grin,
Their unrelenting goal:
That they're the ones who win.

You’ve got to have good cleats
Regardless of the cost
Or self respect retreats
And you have surely lost.

Scat

Just answer your chat
If you crave a good scam
They’re always working
Like leeches lurking
Or tell the fishy cat
Get out of here, scram!

Turbid

Any gesture made
Was quickly thwarted
The rope proffered was frayed
Or strangely shorted
There is no truth displayed
Or reported
The wake through which I wade
Becomes distorted.

The Lessening

I think I’m over everything
There’s no shit left to give
My life an endless lessening
I tried my best to live.

Running Out of Popcorn

Dates come and go
Nothing new to show
We never will forget
No one’s in jail yet
Hate to be abrupt
Can’t we wrap this up?

Rugged

An ounce of indecision can become
A mountain of regret that blocks your path
Until you can’t go back where you came from
Abandoned on the precipice of wrath

If you only stay on level ground
You'll seldom get a chance to truly rise
The rigors of ascension are profound
Those who sometimes wander are most wise.

Server

Beware each random message sent
Or any time that you have spent
The pleasantries stop once it’s clear
There isn’t any money here
Obey your lust, you’re bound to be
A servant for eternity.

Minimalist

I need some air
A bit of food
And liquid fare
I’m just a normal dude
Well, almost there
With an attitude
And heart to spare.

Affirmation

The dawn progressed
He felt blessed
As all the colors coalesced

Every hue
A different clue
To plumb the spectrum of what’s true

He nodded then
The day began
Another chance to try again.


***Dedicated to kouji in the land of the rising sun 🇯🇵 thanks for your positivity!***

Trippin'

Oh Helene
Stop making a scene
You got the attention you wanted and more
Mop up your tears
Fix all the smears
And please don’t ever come back to our shore.

Guffaw

They say reach out and so I did
To have my hand smacked like a kid
I don’t foresee a moment when
I ever will reach out again

Was I wrong to stay aloof?
This latest episode is proof
That independent ways are best
To guard the heart within your chest

The topper to my latest gaffe
Was having a good belly laugh
Once I swallowed down the pain
Of rejections cold disdain.

Policy

When you really need a friend
Is when you really find
That people are just so pretend
Or simply too unkind

If you need a soul to care
That is when you see
Though solitude can cause despair
It grants indemnity.

Yuk

Alone I met this earth
Alone I’ll leave
None will mark my birth
Or even grieve
The only sign of worth
I could achieve
Was managing some mirth
Upon my sleeve.

Wrong Tree

Under a rock
You get too depressed
And here’s a big shock
Too easily stressed

Come out, see the sun
And all that can be
You may have some fun
In the shade of a tree.

Upon the glade
As new growth soars
The limbs are swayed
To seek new shores.

Night Gem

The moon’s immersed in mist
It swims amongst the swirls
Aglow just like an amethyst
With incandescent curls.

Whoops

The best way to cope
With a slippery slope?
Make the edge off bounds
Harder than it sounds

For many like to creep
Past where it gets steep
And once you start to slide
It’s a bumpy ride.

Blanket Statement

The only ones that pretend to want to talk to me are scammers
What does that say about me?
I think I’m going home to put on my jammers
I’ve had enough of this century!

Unjustifiable

If in is out
And up is down
Is confidence doubt
A smile a frown?

Then life is death
And coldness, heat
Don’t hold your breath
For ends to meet.

Hellscape

Encased in hardware and glass
A former field of Timothy grass
Resembles the metallic scene
From a science fiction magazine
The final chapter come to pass.

Nook

If you’re ever on the line
With an aquatic feline
Never swallow the hook

For every winsome purr
Is just a pretty lure
To make you trust a crook

You must submerge your worm
From ground that’s firm
Give real life a look.

Deflower

When you try to be poetic
But come off as pathetic
Maybe you should simply shut your face
There’s nothing more trashy
Than trying to be flashy
So knock it off and clearly state your case.

Duly Noted

When you’re a cooking man
You’ve got to do things when you can
You can’t wait for orders to stop
You’ve got to cook and chop

And thus it is when you write
But your memory has taken flight
You must scribble when it hits
Or you’ll forever rack your wits.

🐈🐟

Are you really what you seem
Or just another forlorn dream
That ends the second it’s believed?
The lonely are the most deceived.

Felt

The pro was feared
He rarely missed
Impeccable and stout

The novice jeered
And lightly hissed
Impatient for some clout

The bettors seared
Their bookie's fist
The epic match played out.

One Sweet Night

I long to feel the satin touch
Of a nubile woman’s skin
Massaging her whole frame with such
Desire that our senses spin

I need to melt in her embrace
And shiver with delight
All pain removed without a trace
At least for one sweet night.

Falsity

Nothing's real
There’s no feel
Endless lies
Compromise
The integrity
Of all we see
Including steel
Nothing’s real.

Prolonging

Like a strand of silk in the light of the sun
She shimmered as she was spun
Ethereal and lighter than air
No music? She didn’t care

He watched her waft around with ease
Just like that silk on a summer breeze
And as love seeped from every pore
He prayed for a few heartbeats more.

Extension

Don’t let the end of summer stunt your growth
Extend your limbs straight up to capture light
And also spread those roots, if you do both
You’re likely to ascend right out of sight.

Dystopinox

Should I envy or pity
The ultra convinced?
You need not be witty
To see ‘facts’ are minced

It’s all so confusing
Perhaps by design
And often amusing
When malcontents whine.

Nothing is certain
So why get upset?
Behind the curtain
The stage has been set,

Utopias crumble
If they happen at all,
When principles tumble
We’ve started the fall.

Thinning

Tooth by tooth
We lose our youth
Lie by lie
We say goodbye
To the truth

Tear by tear
Dreams disappear
Hair by hair
We learn to care
And shed fear.

Costly Education

Virtue doesn’t pay
Unless you’re the creep
That cashed in today
When someone was asleep
In a comfy bubble of mutual trust
You couldn’t wait to bust.

Punctuated

The sentence was read
As pupils went blank
(for a period, dead)
Then defeatedly sank

A lesson was learned
The subject was class
When spacing is spurned
You don’t get a pass.

Igneous Ignoramus

Within the crystalline structure of a rock
Is a matrix we must learn to unlock
If we ever want to be completely free
But I am just a stone, so don’t ask me.

Inspiring

Does art draw your eye
Will music play a role
In helping find out why
Creation stirs the soul?

Unburdened

My nails are rough, they’re cracked and chipped
But that’s how working hands are tipped
My back is sore, it creaks and pops
Because commitment never stops
This heart is full and mind serene
All burdens borne by The Nazarene.

Legends

The heroes are falling one by one
Their axes no longer kill
Those drums of War are all but done
The arena cold and still

The heroes are falling, take a knee
Let's give them accolades
They’re leaving quite a legacy
For greatness never fades.

4000 Posts

The 4000th post?
I know it’s not much
But I cleared out a decent sized spot,
Forgive the small boast,
My failure is such
That I over protect what I’ve got.

But do look around
I try to provide
An otherwise overlooked view
For life is profound
And we must have a wide
Perspective to see something new

At times I must go
A bit farther out
To find unique items to add
Where fresh forests grow
And rare species sprout,
I’m sure some consider me mad,

For off in the sky
I constantly see
Dark shapes in a hypnotic gyre,
Far beyond spry
Are they waiting for me
To falter when I finally tire?

Sold Out

The more appetites you face
The quicker the pace
Of your descent
Away from grace

The lower your supply
The less you satisfy
Those who won’t relent
And beg to buy

Success is always planned
It’s painful to expand
The more effort spent
The more demand.

Double Dippers

We know what they allow us to know
About the construct we inhabit
For a glimpse of the truth you’ve got to go
In search of a little white rabbit
Where snobs who snub the common folk
Will slurp their marrow down like yolk.

Rusticity

A truck went by and mooed
It gave me a bit of a scare
I thought that it was kind of rude
Until I saw a tail in the air,
It was just a local farmer dude
Bringing livestock to the fair
Where we will spend an interlude
Away from civilized despair.

Reconcile

Resiliency cannot be gaged
By how you fare when war is waged
But how you live when those who preach
Of peace extend their overreach.

Bluntly

There are trees and there are rocks
And sometimes one politely mocks
The other over thoughts revealed
And silence overtakes the field
(As stones can take it in large blocks).

But soon, in rustic wilderness
So many noises coalesce
That you can’t help but join right in
Though stones aren’t very vocal *grin*
This one dulls of loneliness.

Extraction

We’ve all been trained to accept
That whatever the system presents
Is the best of options for us

So most ignore the many dents
In the story over which they fuss
And view their words as laws that must be kept

But broken trust is much like puss
And festers when caused by the inept,
It’s time to drain the wound, so it relents.

Perihelion

Though it’s a hoodie, not a dress
Yellow highlights your loveliness
More radiant than the morning sun
Admired by this dismal one
And like the sun, despite how I beseech
You shall be forever out of reach
Two bodies who have never met
As close as they are ever bound to get.

Base

I’m opting out of the experiment
You’ve studied my brain enough
Is my attitude an impediment?
It's hard to gaslight the gruff

How sickly sweet can they make it?
It seems we are doomed to see
Whatever transpires they’ll fake it
And the mindless will line up with glee.

Not Getting It

Without a container
You can’t have to-go
The only no-brainer?
Those who say So?

Tandem

If you can start
Right from the heart
You can imbue
All that you do
With passion that’s pure
Enough to endure

But, if instead
You follow your head
Your fanciful flight
Just may excite
Another to think
Before the big brink.

Reinstate

Each generation removed
Screams louder for things to be proved
Before they’ll believe traditions they were told
But once the earth starts to shake
They’ll see that the only thing fake
Are those who said cancel the ways of the old.

Unconventional

The blue ones are raucous
Demanding their share
A self centered caucus
Overtly unfair

The red are less rowdy
And try to maintain
Demeanors so dowdy
Compliance is plain

If only the martial
Could just learn to be
Much more impartial
We all could be free.

By The Book

I’m feeling slightly pensive
And somewhat apprehensive
Before the drama starts
I must go on the offensive

There is no clear objective
But the prudent are selective
And know within their hearts
To heed the gold directive.

Buzzkill 🪰

A mayfly flew around my head
But landed on a bush instead
I said, “It’s August, you’re kinda late.”
It buzzed, “That’s cute, let’s not debate.
Winter’s coming, I’ve much to do,
least of which is chatting with you,
you’re a human, so of course you would
assume it’s seasonal, not just could.
And now I must be on my way
please stop pestering me, good day!”
I chuckled, though he looked quite grim,
As I thought to myself what’s bugging him?

Shake it Up

Lately I’ve been feeling, well, inert
I smash my hand, it doesn’t seem to hurt
I suffer loss, but my eyes refuse to squirt

It began with the suspension of belief
And no solution could dissolve the beef
The reaction was intense, but very brief

Ideal conditions aren’t required to thrive
By utilizing variables the viable survive
An element of chance can remind one they’re alive.

Not in the Club

I’ve always been a fan of Moorcock
But not saying such aloud
Some just stare in mild shock
While others gasp, quite wowed—
Those who have achieved acclaim
Should sometimes choose another name.

Too Dark?

Four big mushrooms in a line
On the side of my house where the sun won’t shine
I swear they weren’t there yesterday
A little shade and fun guys prey.

The Night She Wore the Yellow Dress

The more beautiful the bloom
The more one longs to hold
Soft petals in their hand

To breathe sweet perfume
That smells both shy and bold
And dream of grand romance few understand.

Impudent

Have you ever known anyone rich
Who didn’t love their cash
More than their latest pitch?
Forgive me for being brash

But when was the last time
You got something free of cost?
If questioning becomes a crime
That is when we’ve truly lost.

Patronized

They want
Whatever isn’t prepped
They take
The stuff you should’ve schlepped
They moan
When things aren’t nice and plain
They seem
To feed upon your pain.

Flock

Cicadas serenade me as summer simmers down
And tantalizing hints of fall begin to tinge this town
Oblivious observers overlook what comes to be
As summer simmers down, cicadas sing to me

The timid creatures congregate to take what is proffered
A picky poet tries to place the most expressive word
If you squander freedom you may realize too late
To take what is proffered, the timid congregate.

Brown Out

These lips are allergic to cheek
And will never kiss up (so to speak)
Like rats who would soil their beak
On their boss’s residual streak.

Vicinity

I’m always off by one
It’s never a perfect match
This imprecision isn’t fun
It’s just another scratch

I’m always one away
Not two or three or four
Near misses bring about dismay
And make me want it more

Today I shot for eight
But ended up with nine
A win would be so great
Someday it will be mine.

Battered

Debby came calling
Her eye looked appalling
And as we expected, she couldn’t stop bawling

The lawn needed rinsing
But we started wincing
The front she established was less-than-convincing.

Lopsided

Simulation or simulacrum?
They’d never lie, just ask ‘em
And once you find your answer They
Will tell you it’s the other way

The overlords that run this plane
Are anxious to dissect your brain
As you inform them what you like
They crucify you with each spike

What're the odds that They will be
Magnanimous and full of glee?
I'm sure there’s no agenda *cough*
But the ratio seems slightly off.

Beastly

Primal passions percolate
Foes of fashion can’t relate
Gaudy garments goad your greed
Décolletage delights indeed
Bashful banter brings about
Optic orbs that pop out
Eager expectations espoused
Animalistic urge aroused.

No Big Loss

To the rich we are slaves, nothing more
Sometimes it’s good to be poor
You’re much less inclined to be sore
When indices crash through the floor.

Breadwinner

Gracula the grackle
Let loose a strident cackle,
He eyed the cat food greedily
And danced about so needily
That I began to sprinkle
The lawn with bread quite speedily.

Bountiful

Just looking around
I seem to have found
Three red rocks in a row on the ground

Now what I’ll do
Is search for a few
Examples of stones that are green or blue

If you’re ever bored
Just scrounge through the hoard
Of beauty that is to seek your reward.

Fair Play

If you’re going to pounce
Give every ounce
Or feast on dismay
When you become prey.

Progressively

Talk about weird
Isn’t it odd
The ignobly geared
Like playing god

They fervidly chant
The slogans they’re taught
And tell folks, “You can’t!”
While chaos is wrought.

🐭 Up

If all the mice stay the same
The cat stays tame
If one decides to grow a set
That pussy gets wet
From tears of rage, for who would dare—
A rodent with some cheese to spare!

The Chair

If a chair breaks an arm
Do you sling it
Or has a crooked back
Should you wing it
And for a flattened seat
Can you re-stuff it
Without a leg to stand on
Could you bluff it?

Yours Truly

Who said they would never go
After every single fling
Then instantly turned incognito
Who would do such a thing?

Who thought they would never be
Alone, because they never were
And now seeks unsuccessfully
The silence they prefer?

Who is so illiterate
They couldn’t read the wall
Among the inconsiderate
Who laments it all?

Expansive

Can you make me this
Can you make me that
It’s a porker's bliss
Can you make me fat?

Just change the oil
Before getting fried
Or blood could boil
As seams are tried.

Free Verse

I heard a sonnet saunter through my head
Iambic feet insistent in their gait,
I tried my best to simply go to bed
But once I felt its breath, it was too late,
For then I had to somehow find a way
To keep it company until it went.
We sat there for a bit, not much to say,
Then suddenly, this form began to vent:
In good old days, I was found everywhere
Inhabitants of earth were prone to read
And words were truly held in high esteem,
Now acronyms and GIFs are what they share
And pictures, so it seems, I'm finally freed.
Then *poof* it disappeared, a dying dream.

Write Off

They profit off your skin
And pulverize your bones
Then after the fix they put you in
They take away your stones

They snicker at your tears
And drink them like champagne
Regardless of how many years
You helped their record gain

And finally, when you are spent
And feel you may expire
That's when these heartless fiends relent
And force you to retire.

Getting the Wind Knocked Out of You

Have you ever been comforted by a lie,
Defended a deceit for which you’d die,
Or would you be upended by the truth,
Tossed about and shaken like a youth
Who finds out once they finally face the fall
That solid isn’t very soft at all—
Would you rather take a sec to catch your breath
Or be smothered by deception until death?

Lip Service

The day your dreams were done
You frolicked in the sun
And now, another year of bliss,
Your cup doth overrun.

The benefits of clan outweigh
The freedom that you sign away
And all it costs is just one kiss,
Or so traditions say.

Monumental

Growing callous
Stabbing throats
Worshipped phallus
Horus gloats,

Set's disciples
Won't bow down
They’ll scuttle scruples
To steal the crown,

Hapless mortals
Aren’t dismayed
*nervous chortle*
In the pyramids shade.

Stay Safe

A bumbling buffoon
Defers to a loon
But off in the wings
Just yanking those strings
Are those who hope soon
To proclaim themselves kings.

So many asleep
Like good little sheep
What will they say
When the wool's pulled away?
Some earplugs may keep
The bleating at bay.

Streak

Make a break
Sink a ball
Bet your stake
Beat them all
See your shot
Take a cue
When you’re hot
Run ‘em through.

Re-education

Of all the things I could have done
Here’s me: the most annoying one
So I simply stay home and try to maintain
This fleeting feeling that I’m still sane
It seems I had my time for fun
And now I learn the way of pain.

Versus

There’s a really good book
I’ve been meaning to read
But you can’t school a rook
When the King bellows, “Heed!”

Or lecture a pawn
Who is likely to die
When the Queen starts to yawn
Just to catch a knight's eye

The bishop may bless
All who fight to and fro
But there’s an end to this mess
That good book says so.

Cagey

Politicians ply the pander ploy
To bolster a bulging ballot box
Apparently quite anxious to annoy
The foolish fowl that voted in the fox.

Prostrate

Remember when you’re on your knees
How anxious you were to appease
Those with conquest burning in their eyes

Importing destruction to smugly claim
That you’re a good person is not only lame
It is when the posture surely dies.

Outsider

Who should lead
Is a point of contention
The one we need
Is beyond convention.

Plot Armor

The stage has been set
The players all fed
Their lines, now we get
A climax to dread
Who knows what cast could be reborn
Perhaps the freedom we currently mourn
Beware all heroes they portray
There’s only one Boss we must obey.

Abdication

No more heavy head
The crown has been shed
Leaf by golden leaf
A monarch is dead
His season so brief

The branch that bore fruit
Is now destitute
There seems to be no heir
And now we ask how hard a boot
The new regime will wear.

Catenary

The sorrow and the joy we weave
Into the cloth of life
Are why we laugh and why we grieve
Through trying bouts of strife,
Despite what little we perceive
The tapestry is rife
With many flaws that we must cleave
Like thread before a knife.

Echo Chamber

Empowerment is such a rush
Forget about grace and poise
Growing louder the more they flush
Empty vessels make the most noise

The spiteful never check their pride
And how much it destroys
They’re hollow with no heart inside
Empty vessels make the most noise

Confused by the compulsive lies
The system routinely employs
They spew nonsense but think they’re wise
Empty vessels make the most noise.

Read Me?

So many words
But what was said?
The curse of versification:
Its usual classification
Is ‘For the Birds’.
Please read instead.

Backpedal

The Biking Poet rides again
But trust me, not by choice
A busted car and worn-out pen
Have quieted his voice

It’s hard to pedal in a rut
But beats exhausted feet
The problem is a sixtyish butt
Ain’t made for a teenager’s seat.

Crickets

Creation comes in dribs and drabs
A portrait by determined dabs
And when that burning passion stabs
Just be glad it isn’t crabs.

Unshakable

Ant upon a pane of glass
Feels the sun, sees the grass
Wonders why it cannot pass
Just don’t bring your friends en masse!

Sometimes when you find you can’t
You may want to fuss and rant
Or you can be adamant
Just like this tenacious ant.

Ee-eye Ee-eye ewwww

A cow in a coupe?

Pray it doesn’t poop,

In less than a mile

You could have quite a pile,

Before you hit town

You become farmer brown.

Unflappable

Being a hermit isn’t all that bad

You can pretty much do as you please

Although your neighbors may not be glad

If they see you swinging in the breeze.

Nothing Left to Lose

We all wear chains

Some feel the rub

More than others do

 

Your burden wanes

The more you grub

Or you can soldier through

 

I'll bear the pains

Until a nub

Is all that’s left, will you?

 

Upstanding

 The archetypal moocher moaned

When I regained my wheels

She feels that we should all be owned

By those who cut the deals

And though internally I groaned

No independent kneels.

Apt

 Who wouldn’t opt for optimal?

Well, some are slightly slow

But opting in is optional

So pick your path and go!

Woolsey

The Shepherd guides

A fearful flock

To shun what hides

Behind a rock

 

That will not sleep

And won’t behave

By feeding sheep

The lies they crave.

Pardoned

Aggravated

Frustrated

Feeling less-than-motivated

 

Respiration

Inspiration

Fills me with anticipation

 

Emancipated

Vindicated

Sometimes it’s worth it to say I waited.

Keep Kicking

If you go with the flow
You may be a fool
Just hitching a tow
To a stagnant pool

Or even worse yet
A whirlpool (how grim)
And then you’ll regret
Your failure to swim.

8:52

It seems that it took so long
To hold you in my arms
I thought this day would never be
I can’t wait for you to share
My life and all your charms
But I can’t even get to eight fifty three

It’s eight fifty two
I’m so in love with you
At nine o’clock we say I do
But it’s eight fifty two

Beyond Debate

Ancients at the podium
Inspire righteous odium
Every word they speak, a lie
Theatrics for the shuttered eye
Best stock up on Imodium
The shit is sure to fly!

Pretty Kitty

Tiger crouching in the grass
Patient pose to watch prey pass
Fear not, it’s no ferocious one
This orange beauty prefers the sun.

Common Ground

Differences abound
But what cannot be found
Is a reason why we all should unite

Everyone seems to feel
Only their beliefs are real
Resulting in a nonstop ideological fight

We’ve got to find the place
Of compromise and grace
Or watch the fuse ignite.

Didn’t Age Well

Seeing that stale flame
Really left me cold
Remembering the foolish game
And how it grew old
As we did, just the same.

Collection

Want a like
So you can gage
My depth of rage?
Take a hike!

Hear that click?
Press your luck
You'll need to duck
Really quick.

Feel some fear?
It will expand
When you understand
The mob is near.

Fractured Fairy Tale

There is a crooked man
In a corrupted house
Whose wife has no plan
To save her less-than-upright spouse

He has no good defense
For stirring so much strife
I guess it’s just a consequence
Of living a crooked life.

Current Events

Once you’re immersed
The current pulls you down
Until you’re in over your head

If you stay submersed
You likely will drown
Break through for air instead.

Transcendence

Return to the source
Primordial force
Soul starts to merge
Sensations surge
Sentient stars
Perform eight bars
Harmony ignites
Phantasmal delights.

Mournful

It’s exhausting to articulate
The lethargy I feel
Bordering on insensate
Is anything even real?

Assailed by the absurdities
To which the weaker cleave
And all their foul proclivities—
For truth, I grieve.

Thinking of John

You played where you weren’t supposed to go
But you went there anyway
Until you learned about the endless show
Then played a different way

We say goodbye to you
Beneath a dying sun
So glad for what you chose to do
So sad for what you might have done

We say goodbye to you
You smile and say hello
Across the universe you flew
To where the sweetest berries grow.

Overstated

I have such ample breasts
Of chicken, eyes up here
They say a jackass jests
Well, so it would appear.

In the Moment

A gibbous moon is waxing
O'er the Lightning Bug Ballet,
It’s tranquil and relaxing
As they flit and flash away.

With solstice quickly nearing
What will the summer bring?
I shrug, and just keep leering,
Enraptured by the spring.

Any Dragons About?

When harridans howl
Heroes hightail
A scavengers scowl
Over wives who wail.

(S)mothering

We gave them every comfort
So they could grow to be
The most annoying bastards
The world will ever see

The griping and the whining
And the me me me me me
Are even worse when tempered by
Their skewed morality.

Future mothers, consider this
A drastic call to arms,
Teach discipline or you will find
How much indulgence harms.

Greener 🤢

Is there anything worse
Than celery that’s flaccid?
How about a vegan
All pasty and placid
That comes to a dinner
With a big covered dish
Of fricaseed crickets
Don’t that sound delish?

Untimely

If you could do it
Would you?
If it would kill you
Could you?
Can you embrace
Exemption
To salvage another’s
Redemption?
If only I knew
The magic
I'd save her from
The tragic
Without a single
Exception
Even if she had to miss
Conception.

Numbers

 

The way thieves work the digits makes them think

They can do whatever they want to do

But it could change in one proverbial blink

If we say, “We are many, you are few!”

Bluesman and Robin

I took you under my wing
And taught you how to fight
Despite the paralyzing sting
Of nibbling, gnawing fright
But you were very slight,
Too injured to survive the spring,
Before you flew into the night
You reminded me to sing.

Spicy

Suspicious to a fault?
I guess that’s me
But only one or two has proved me wrong.

If you’re not fond of salt
Perhaps it’s best you be
Aware of my salinity, it’s strong.

Autonomous

How beats the heart
That shrinks and then swells
What rhythm compels
The courage to start?

What forms the mind
That can sweet talk a sigh
But still tell a lie
Of the wickedest kind

Where shines the soul
Of immeasurable worth
We are blessed with at birth?
That spark makes us whole.

Sentiments

I sought something meaningful to say
On your very special day
But duty kept getting in the way

So I hope these simple lines will show
How blessed we were twelve years ago
And I love you more than you can know.

Worthiness

If you put familial needs before your own
Occasionally you may let loose a groan
Until you feel the love of those who know
The work you do so they can play and grow.

Fostered

The fruit we must not eat
Is the one we most desire
But will it still seem as sweet
When roasting in the fire?
The orchard offers fleeting shade
As steamy flesh is soon flambéed.

Grinders

We’ll bleed them with unending bills
And charge them more for harmful pills
Until they find, what truly kills
Is blind, obdurate trust

Our ancient clan manipulates
All the measures and the weights
Before our foe retaliates
They will be dust

Controller

Waiting for the boss
Starting to grow moss
Way past getting cross
Refuse another loss.

Obligated

“Choose well when you’re young.”
Said the fool who had hung
Up his calling to care
For the less-than-aware.

But he knew anytime
He could sing, here the crime
Would be to just shirk,
He was no such jerk.

Displacement

Welcome to Dystopium
Just past the town of Copium
If you don’t want a taxing life
You better stop at Hopium.

Expedite

Failure can thwart
Even the strong
Time is short
Don’t take long.

Fast Eddy

They called him Fast Eddy
Because he was so quick
His opponent had no time
To chalk up a stick

He'd hammer the break
And then make a run
Then grunt, “Rack ‘em up.”
When he was all done.

Slugger

If you may
Then you might
So you say?
Well, not quite.
Every day
Worth the fight!

Never Enough

The days go so fast
That several have passed
Since I last posted again
Good thing this blog
Allows me to log
On when I choose from my pen
I'm lagging a bit
But I’ll never quit
Despite knowing how to say when.

Demurrage

The clamor of an early train
Clatters in my waking brain
Then magic mingles with mundane

I see a mighty armored beast
That lopes along from west to east
(my dogs aren’t bothered in the least)

It’s quickly gone, ignoring me
(another derailed fantasy)
The fee for whimsicality.

Da Feet

Were the mop tops
Just more psy-ops?
I don’t really know
But hearing them my toe
Taps and never stops—
Well played my foe.

Money's Worth

The haughty think piles of money
Will make everything just fine
But when you give milkers the honey
They thirst for blood like wine

If only we all could acknowledge
That handouts are simply a lie—
Is that the big lesson in college
To patronize people you buy?

Mostly

How many of me
Could there be?
Well theoretically
More than three
And hopefully
The majority
Will only be
The best of me.

Reminiscent

Remember wandering streets at night
Loopy from hormones and lust
And wondering if you were bound for delight
Or just another bust?

Or standing there atop a hill
That overlooked your town
In search of one amazing thrill
Before it dragged you down

Can you even recall the way you felt
When you weren’t forced to bear
The disappointments you were dealt?
Just leave it all back there!

Surfaced

Sorry but I went away
There wasn’t all that much to say
But now I’m back, so lucky you
Some more nonsense for skimming through.

401k or *@#k

Give a shit, you’re killed.
Don’t? You’re black-pilled
Sometimes it’s suicide to show them you are skilled

Excellence is banned
Creativity gets canned
Those latter years don’t seem to be as cushy as you planned.

Lament

He walked through the nicotine haze
Of she who could never quite cope
His eyes had the permanent glaze
Of one barely maintaining hope

Approaching the gateway he paused
Reluctant to enter the den
Where venomous vitriol caused
A partially poisonous pen

Domestic defaults are a curse
When music keeps calling the tune
Of course things could always be worse
A song they might sing very soon.

Blown Over

I can feel the encroachment of sin
As dark as the clouds rolling in
Attempting to block out the light
Reducing the depth of my sight
But I shake my head and just grin
Determined to only do right.

Spoiling

The apple tree didn’t bloom this year
Perhaps the problem is rooted in fear
Of being ravaged once again
By those incapable of saying when

Creating dependents behooves the state
They go along with any mandate
But once they feel they deserve more
The rottenness goes right down to the core.

Prepping

So you say you want to learn
How to multitask?
Become a cook and you’ll discern
How much of yourself you can ask.

Arterial

Best skip Vampire Town
Before the sun goes down
Or you’ll be drained of every single drop

And you know inside it’s true,
There’s nothing you can do
Unless you run and run and never stop.

Back Talk

I have to work my way up to erect
But it’s not what the lewd might expect
And you just may have a hunch
If, like me, you’ve worked an awful bunch.

Pirated

As your digital self is entangled
With the quantum mechanics of why
You reach for the fruit that is dangled
Although it’s a virtual lie

The code you rely on? Corrupted
By viral invaders who seek
A signal, that once interrupted
Shall scramble the will of the weak.

Lop Sided

Were justice yours to mete
Would your arm complete
The fatal arc?
Did it just get that dark?
The downside of defeat—
It’s bound to leave a mark.

Etherium

I thought of Mom a lot today
The only thing that I can say:
I hope you are at peace somewhere
In the aether, no despair.

Minutum Cerebrum

Those with stunted frontal lobes appear
To think that we should make our farmers steer
Away from growing substances required
To help ensure we don’t wind up expired
And if you feel such actions aren’t insane
You may have a similarly affected brain.

Short Order

An hour can make you regret
A lifetime that you let
Opportunities go

When you’re drenched in sweat
But there are tickets yet
Then you’ll know

Refuse the urge to fret
No future is set
Change can quickly show.

Fluency

I answer the birds when they sing
They anxiously tweet back their part
I don’t know what’s said, but here’s the thing:
Melody speaks to the heart.

🤡 🌍

The more polished the turd
The more that I cringe
Plasticity preferred
By bleaters that binge
On fakeness. Absurd?
Oh, more than a tinge.

Have a Nice Day

Seeing through the lies
Is not that great
You don't feel all that wise
Just more irate

And if you actually try
To sit and share
They look you in the eye
With that odd stare

You’re better off to grab
Your tongue and squeeze
Or simply stick with drab
Preprogrammed pleasantries.

Anna Graham

Anna Graham
Took the tram
To the mart
Filled her cart

Paid her tab
Had to bat
Her eyes to nab
A checkered cab.

Waive

He saw the flag that was waving him in
Not the red ones, and now chagrin
Has left him stuck, without an oar
So he learned to curse in semaphore.

Effect

The sun came up, I felt a twinge
Of awe as gold began to fringe
The clouds that framed an endless sky,
Another day, another try.

It seems that spring is finally here
It’s best when may turns crystal clear,
This vista that commands my view
Inspires me to follow through.

Craftsmanship

To make some food that isn’t lame
You have to tame
The fearsome flame

To vinify a vintage wine
The sun must shine
Upon your vine

To write a soul arousing song
Invite the throng
To sing along

To find the least repressive place
Address the race
With love and grace.

Artistry

The butterflies and bumblebees
Are bouncing on the breeze
As blossoms bop their little heads
And twirl around with ease

This choreographer knows His craft,
A perfect scene in every shaft
Of light where every dancer treads,
A sweet ballet with each new draft.

Father Knows Best

The human heart despite its strength
Is easily misled
And though I could go on at length
I’ll tell you this instead:
Give love to God the Father first
And his holy Son
Then, when evil does its worst
The fight's already won.

Potential

So close to may
But doubts still prey
As spring seems uninclined to stay

Despite our needs
We have the seeds
For compromise, and growth proceeds.

Rug City Retrospect

We all have spurts of good luck
And stretches where things just suck
And though we periodically plan
We take what comes and do the best we can.

Temperance

The perpetual imposer can't see
Just how annoying they are
Presenting their most recent plea
Constantly pushing too far
Until there’s no one left to shove
Never take advantage of love.

Cookin'

The first two hours disappeared
I cooked and cooked till it was cleared
The silent printer is my Zen
Until that chatter starts again

Play with hot food, you’ll be burned
I have so many scars, just look
A fearsome flame won’t be spurned
Another ticket, gotta book!

Lowlife

A creature that crawls on its belly
Isn’t as clever as it may think
For nether regions are smelly
And that’s where it likes to slink—
In shadows, where prey can’t see,
As dark as its heart seems to be.

Sensibility

It’s getting harder to see
No matter how much I squint
The light escapes me
Should I just take a hint?
I’ll always seek the glint.

And sounds aren’t as clear
Regardless how I strain
I’m struggling to hear
Will understanding wane?
Perhaps it’s best to filter out disdain.

And lately my speech
Has been overly flecked
With lies that fools preach
But I’ll only interject
With words of respect.

🤯

Is time dilation real?
Well, here’s the deal:
I started this poem at one
But it was already done
So posted it late
Isn't time tweaking great?

Cell

It’s a block to build,
A hole that’s filled,
Or the culprit when the truth is killed

The signal is strong
But many go wrong
When lost in the chaotic noise of the throng

Although we seek
To block the bleak
Salvation is dropped when reception is weak.

None of The Above

They’ll tell us that we have no other choice,
to save the earth all humans must obey
restrictions that will strangle every voice
and limit life in every single way.

Eliminating options to survive
they’ll tell us that we have no other choice
but gather in their sterile techno-hive
while they go buy the trendiest Rolls-Royce

and send taxpayers the invoice.
And as we choke down foul synthetic food
(they’ll tell us that we have no other choice)
their gourmet delights shall be chewed

then washed down with bubbly champagne,
the worst part? They think we should rejoice,
do you want to submit to their illegitimate reign?
There’s always another choice.

Frigidity

Your tulips appear
To be frosty my dear
The red is subdued
Much like the mood
When spring should be here

The winters are drear
Year after year after year
If it wasn’t for such drudgery
Perhaps there wouldn’t be
Frost on your two lips dear.

Pluckers

The left and right wings are the same
Propelling the eagle to new heights of shame
They make a flap
But don’t do crap
And soon we’ll be lunch meat once lame.

Winged

Of all days to pick
This must be the worst
I think I feel sick
Did something just burst?
Whoever chose 420 for Wingfest must die
But first I have a mountain of wings to fry.

Withered

If only backs were like leaves
Returning fresh and slack
But every working man grieves,
The spring will never be back.

Better than Lint

I have so many poems in my pocket
I don’t know which one to share
Was it proper to overstock it?
The prudent prefer to prepare

With hopes that you like this one
I'll post without delay
Make sure that you don’t miss one,
And share your own, okay?


***Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day!***

Quantifiable

Met a four
At least that’s what she said she was
“Just do what everybody does,
Find the door.”

I said, “Nay
It seems your addition is off
Ignore the ignorant who scoff
Ten all day!”

Math is fun
It can exercise your mind
And it’s better when you find
Two are one.

Overdone

You don’t have to be hooked
on something heavy
to throw your life away
your mind can be cooked
by the sickening bevy
of lies labeled truth every day.

Skyward

I once had time to think and write
When I was in my prime
Staying up through half the night
To think and write. I once had time

For fanciful flights in a fertile mind
Unfettered by the plights
That limit what runways one can find
In a fertile mind for fanciful flights,

But I still try to soar when I can
I didn’t forget how to fly,
Sometimes it’s hard for this also-ran
To soar when I can, but I still try.

Singed

That which we can’t see
Entices us more than the sight
And what we know cannot be
Can haunt us every night

Remember to temper desire
With pinches of practical flux
Or find yourself seared by the fire
That will never be quenched by the crux.

Over the Hump

Anything done for lust
Though kindly seeming, must
End up as a bust
(If you get my thrust).

Scuttled

Everyone has to do their part
To keep this ship afloat
And study the most current chart
To dodge sand bars of note

With every vital station manned
We shouldn’t go ker-plunk
But, if no one lends a hand
We could be sunk.

Pither

Can you be so in touch with the universe
That you feel each decaying atom disperse
Throughout the fabric of all that is—
Or maybe you just have to take a whiz?

Underdeveloped

Everyone wants to go there
But when it’s time to show up
No one does.

A dead end gets you nowhere
While those with purpose grow up.
Wish I was.

Waltz

Beside a crooked crabapple tree
I was blessed to see
The dance between the blossom and the bee

Then, like the distant sun and moon
Whose hug was done too soon
I spiral to my own eccentric tune

And onward everyone proceeds
Performing their appointed deeds
As destiny adroitly leads.

Totality

You can block out The Son
But it doesn’t matter if you do
Or how far you run
The light will get through
The darkness undone.

When blackness seems grim
Be warmed by the glow
Of a merciful whim
The Son can bestow
And give all to Him.

Imperceptive

The complexity of the cosmos is no lark
A grand design exists for all to see
But those with feeble eyes are doomed to be
Forever grasping blindly in the dark.

Self-Starter

They said to lead but I never cared
For pacifying people ill prepared
To muddle through morose futility
And still believe that anything can be.

Refusing to administer the lies
I see that I was insolent, not wise
And though the system's just a shoddy sham
I harbor hope because that’s who I am.

Jubilation

The final jubilee
Of such a long span
Is bound to be

A seething can
Of latent energy
To change the world of Man.

Getting Plowed

The first week of spring
Another frosty fling
Glad elected hacks
Hiked that carbon tax.

Zesty

Can an orange tree grow in New York?
As mentioned, I’m a bit of a dork
But each new leaf
Nurtures belief
Like a bum with a monogrammed fork.

Laughing Matters

I chuckled at someone's misfortune
And bad luck belittled me
So I can’t blow it out of proportion
When nettled by his glee.

It’s best to avoid acting petty
We all have rough patches to tread
Stop tossing the caustic confetti
And try being helpful instead.

Subterfuge

They can’t copy natural beauty
So made the grotesque seem grand
And those with no concept of duty
To truth give them such a big hand
The war against morals is fully engaged
Beware propaganda that’s overly staged.

Resurrection

The sun shall rise again
And glorious light will shine
To fill this darkened den
With hints of the divine

It happens every morn
To all women and men
A chance to be reborn
The Son did rise again!


✝️🌹🥀🌺 Happy Easter! 🌻🌷💐✝️

In the Pocket

You can choose to play or not
The league requires dues
Feel lucky? Take your shot
The tournament ensues.

Fry-volity

 I found this dinosaur sized French fry today, I put it on a 10 inch plate to show how big it is, and after testing several samples can definitely confirm it's from the Fry-assic period 🤪

  Ok, sorry I'll go back to poetry now, bye.

Bridge Ahead

Who is steering the ship?
The route seems random at best
Like no one has a good grip
Of the helm as rough waters crest.

Who’s commanding this boat
And ordering it where to head?
Corrections made by those remote
Will sink us quicker than lead.

Who has control of this craft
Are they suffering memory loss?
It appears the captain may be daft
A Rubicon we'll have to cross.

Insubstantial

Are they kicking off the apocalypse
On the ominous eclipse?
Before we go any further,
It’s probably another nothing burger.

Reservations

He watched as the great starvation began
And while he wasn’t wise to their plan
He knew that it was about control
Dominion over the human soul
For once the masses felt hunger gnaw
They would submit to any law
But peons still preferred the lies
As perverts plotted their demise.

The oligarchs banned farming first
Then charged a tax to slake your thirst
Creating toxins they called food
They compromised the multitudes
And corpses carted to the bin
Were simply bones draped with skin
Until the few remaining wept—
A future we must not accept.

Refreshed

It’s amazing how it clears after a storm has passed
Blue replacing all the dark clouds that amassed
Birds celebrating that the bright sun is back
Hope emanating into any who may lack.

Ratioed

Six out seven ain’t bad
If you’re a strong eager lad
But when you’re old it sucks
Just for a couple of bucks
That're gone the very next day
Seems slacking doesn’t pay.

No Substitutes

The menu can be tempting
Until you’re forced to choose
Between what trust's exempting
And what you stand to lose

Remember, every entrée sizzles
When it’s in the pan
But lack of flavor quickly fizzles
Just as hunger can.

Snow Job

The first day of spring
What did it bring?
Mountains of snow
Global warming you know.

Cooling

Sperry the sparrow felt spry
And spotted one special nearby
He approached and gave her a peck
Recoiling she said, “What the heck?!

You really have some nerve,
Stay away from me you perv!
I can’t believe you would dare
Don’t you see all the snow everywhere?”

And then she abruptly flew away
While he thought, guess not today
I’ll wait for spring to truly hit
And hope that it warms a bit.

Rest Assured

The sweetest perk
To honest work?
A bit of sleep
That’s actually deep
Before thoughts lurk
That love to creep.

Restless

The principle of love? First rate!
In action, well, not always great
But such is the devotion of this urge:

It can help remediate
Frustrating thoughts in those who wait
With every giddy sleep depriving surge.

Saved

Current mood: Foul
Favorite look — Scowl
Place in life = Slave
Attitude? Grave
Term of service — Long
Faith in God: Strong

Mix it Up

Once you sell your soul
They have attained control
Their one and only goal:
Complete corruption

Of everything you are
And nothing is too far
Show them you can spar
Demand disruption!

Deeply Fried

I’ll keep on making your greasy snacks
But I feel that you should know
The harder that cursed whip of yours cracks
The lower my give-a-fuck levels go.

March

Whenever tranquility is achieved
Its rapid loss is sorely grieved
How much drama can one create?
I’m finding out as of late

And also getting slightly perturbed
For if this nonsense isn’t curbed
Some drastic changes will be made
Beginning with a goodbye parade.

Curiosity

The cupola is pointed like a Persian palisade
White walls, red roof, meticulously made
I have no idea who built this structure or why
But it always makes me smile whenever I drive by.

Offed

I finally had a freaking day off
So I could recuperate (cough)
But first had dishes to scrub
Then I cooked yummy grub
Which led to the routine
Of scouring utensils clean.
The hamper was piled so high
It looked me square in the eye
But began to slowly erode
Load by tedious load.
In between these joyous jobs
I had to dust (we’re such slobs)
And walk the dogs, feed the cats
I wish I could remove these hats!
I took a day off, whatever for?
Now I’m so dead I need two more.

NEVER Use THEIR Words

When you hear the word Transparency
You know that someone’s lying
And if they scream Diversity
Your kind is surely dying
Should lazy types chant Equity
Your modest means are taken
And run from Inclusivity
Be smothered or AWAKEN.

Subterranean

The florist around the corner
Made a new arrangement
They found him in the cooler
The bouquet rather fragrant

It laid there right beside his head
A single growing bloom
That was a sickly shade of red
And redolent of doom.

Some don’t share what hurts them
They simply choose to shoot
And endless nagging questions stem
From never knowing the root.

Curtain Call

The swan song is belted off key
Whenever there’s a show
A diva in the first degree
Madame Butterfly has got to go.

Back to Work

I was giving my brain a break
Now I’m giving it a shake
To see what kind of pithy rhyme I can possibly make

Between my endless chores
I sift through whys and what fors
Searching for a turn of phrase that ultimately soars

So read a line or two
I put them here for all of you
Now pardon me if you please, there’s much I have to do.

Back Door Deal

They told me
You can’t say THIS
So THIS is what I say
It’s clearly
Just an aegis
Free thinkers won’t obey

Write your laws
And make new rules
As much as you can pass
Here’s a clause
For all you fools
Stick them right up your ass!

💩 Platter

Getting tired of cold defeat
So sickeningly stale
How much more can you eat
Before you seek a pail?
Your banquet isn’t quite the feast
You fancied when you left the east.

Bitter Harvest

I try to feel genuine love
For those whom I don’t even like
And pray for the strength from above
When I’d rather be poked with a spike
And I’m not judging anyone
But the querulous I tend to shun.

I struggle to open my heart
With the innocent trust of a child
As I watch the world fall apart
And think if I had only just smiled
perhaps there wouldn’t be a foe
I'm reaping what I chose to sow.

Fast

This coffee is as bitter
As my sins must be to you
Forgive this lowly critter
I’ll try to be more true

A well-intentioned slacker
With nothing much to show
Whose heart is sometimes blacker
Than this steaming cup of joe

I shall forego consuming
Until I cleanse my mind
And remember once resuming
How quickly I declined.

Hail

The rain of spring has just begun
Before the coronation
When we see the moon and sun
Get equal adulation
Although the mud is not much fun
Let’s join the celebration
The reign of Spring has just begun.

🐒 Business

If I can hear it
I can play it
If I can think it
Should I say it?

If I can see it
I can wing it
Feel you own it?
Better bring it!

If I can taste it
I can stew it
Never waste it
Simply do it.

You Were Warned

Here’s a little PSA:
Don’t eat good gummies during the day
And for those who just don’t give a crap
Enjoy your nap.

To Order

When a ticket says add salt to fries
It kind of implies
My salinity is not up to snuff
When serving to Fred
I think in my head
Choke, is that salty enough?

Forced March

Whenever I leap I land afoul
Of all my desires somehow
I'm done wanting anything *scowl*

I’ll simply write my lines each day
Just like I do now
Oblivious to hints of May.

Dispensed

It's better when you have a smaller hole
much easier to clean and control
now exit the gutter please
I'm talking about a bag of pretzel cheese.

Muddy

At times a pause is final
To eliminate the hiss
Of unrelenting vinyl
Which cancels out all bliss

The thing with negativity
When blasted without cease
The chances of fidelity
Will suddenly decrease.

Influential

The moon is entangled in box elder branches
Loses momentum and bashfully blanches
But then wriggles free with a little assist
From a big shot with pull that’s hard to resist.

Navigable

They put on airs
But no one cares
You spill your heart
To vacant stares

So don’t impart
How much you smart
Your own affairs
Are yours to chart.

Rousing

When every nerve Is firing
With tingles you can’t tame
And all throughout your wiring
The signal is the same
And you begin perspiring
Like a lover caught mid-squeal
That, for those inquiring
Is how singing makes me feel .

Leaning

Will something roll if it’s flat?
It matters where it’s at
Anything can spiral if you find
It’s so inclined.

222

 

Triple deuce

Turn up the juice

And let some rocking music loose

 

The tubes are hot

So take your shot

And play with everything you’ve got!

Atypical

A typical type of day
For one with little to say,
So little that they in fact
Began a blog that’s packed
With thoughts they couldn’t relay
A typical type of day.

A typical type of life
Confounded by chaos and strife
Can make one more prone to express
Their feeble attempts to finesse
The dance on the edge of a knife
A typical type of life.

Winded

Let this be my opus:
Don't give up hope-us!

Going the Distance

Can space make you happy?
I guess it depends
On if you get sappy
When you lose all your friends.

Cure All

Less than ideal?
Accept the real
To be improved
Can hearts be moved?

More than morose?
You just need a dose
Of love to negate
The cancer called hate.

Iron Scribe

Take the fare you’re forced to use
Chop it, mix it, light the fuse
Until you see the people glom
Because you made a flavor bomb.

Zoooooom

My tiny chihuahua
Loves to romp in the snow
But headed for Guadalajara
When winter winds began to blow
I never saw him run as fast
As when he faced that arctic blast.

Switch

Face to face with my silhouette
A shadow of regret
Confronts me in the mirror every night
Perhaps I could begin to see
A less reflective me
By properly utilizing the light.

Off-key

A bluebird sang from somewhere in the trees
I answered back, the whistles grouped in threes
It landed in a maple tall and stout
To see what I was all about
I think it contemplated jamming out
Until I scared it off with one big sneeze.

Recorded History

For those who think we've come so far—
Nothing’s really changed,
The thing is: most recordings are
Professionally arranged.

Touch Up

How much gray can I eliminate
Before I just exacerbate
The dissonance that seems to be
Debilitating me?

When dying, it’s best to be contrite
For maybe it will expedite
Release of your soul from this place
So you can grasp at grace.

At Odds

The game is played
Bets are made
Who commands the masquerade?

Believe the leads
And scripted deeds
You face defeat. The game proceeds.

Trying

Life’s a test
Just do your best
To fumble through futility fest

You’ll never buff
Out every scuff
But is trying to be a good person enough?

Probably not
What else you got?
At least you took some kind of a shot.

Petitioner

I pray every day God ends their reign
But some things must be, so it’s in vain
And as more of the truth is horrendously slain
I plead for the presence to simply stay sane.

Over It

Every now and then it hits me
And there’s nothing I can do
But ride it out until my little
Pissy mood is through

And though there’s much to keep me miffed
I have a trick that I employ—
To stop and take into account
The many blessings I enjoy.

Appetite Control

A cardinal, squirrel and a crow
Are all in the sumac tree
Eyeing stale bread from me
Waiting for the cat to go
It’s prowling somewhere on the lawn
Or every crumb would be long gone.

Buffaloed

The herds gather up with abandon
To pick the least obvious shill
Stampeded into a box canyon
Nicely set up for the kill

Resist the instinct to follow
If their lips are moving they lie
Impassioned by words that are hollow
The gullible gaggle and die.

Happy

Fifteen years ago I grieved
And felt increasingly lost
The system had belittled
Demoralized and whittled
Away what I believed
Caring wasn’t worth the cost

But then you came along
My exuberant little boy
And sparked regeneration
Of the wonder in creation
For love, when it is strong
Replaces pain with joy.

Tender Heart

 

A rough exterior hides

Your gentleness so well

That most believe you’re mean

 

But I think I can tell

From caring looks I’ve seen

How a loving soul resides

 

Somewhere in between

The protein that abides

Within that jagged shell.

 

Actual chicken tender served for an order during a huge pool tournament yesterday 🐔

Premonition

The gloomy skies begin to clear
As the star-studded veneer
Of the firmament coruscates on high

The universe remains unknown
Despite its implications shown
In hopeful glimpses, prompting one long sigh.

Support System

If I don’t do it
It don’t get done
Should I say Screw it
Turn tail and run?
There’s much more to it
I refuse to shun
And will get through it
Because The Son.

Broken

Outcomes I don’t prefer
Most rapidly occur
And things I wish to be
Never see reality

But I’m not a bitter man
Just part of a plan
More intricate than mine
Can’t buck the divine.

Fried

When you don’t have the strength to respond
Will they think that you’re feeling maligned
Or maybe that you’re not too fond
Of your fellow humankind?
You’re much too tapped to play nice
Gratuity not included in the price.

Downsizing

I crave routine with no schedule
If that makes any sense
And non-religious ritual
To strengthen my defense
Though error is eventual
I know I’m sounding dense

Confounded by contradictions
That complicate the test
I contemplate what situations
In which I should invest
And eliminating expectations
Is always best.

Viability

A falcon harassed by some crows
Flew faster than you may suppose
Predation seems viable some say
That is until they are the prey.

Stoolie

The satisfying crunch of snow
That packs beneath my feet
Doesn’t quite drown out the crow
That’s yakking down the street.
What it says? I’ll never know,
A murder tends to be discreet.

Cobbled

I'd conjure shoes
Of buttery hide
A mage would use
But my tongue is tied

Not quite enough
That I can’t feel,
I may be gruff
But not a heel

Perhaps you'd be
Less forlorn
If you lend to me
The shoes you’ve worn.

Apropos

There’s a little known area
Called the Hunu
Which I wasn’t aware – a
Were you?

Half Full

You never planned
To work so much
The cook was canned
And prices are such
That you can use the bread right now
Despite the pain you disavow

The grill is hot
And free of grease
You are not
And as for peace
It’s how you view the glass you know
Unlike your tank, which is getting low.

Portion

I get twenty five burgers from a tube
But what if it came in a cube?
Ten pounds is ten pounds either way
I'm hungry for beefier pay.

Cold

Despite a train
The crows remain
I sneeze and cough
They all take off
An ebon cloud
That seems to shroud
The sky from sight
But no gesundheit.

Goalpost

I tried to go double
But ran into trouble
The moment I had to attend

To the tedious matters
Of living on tatters
With limited ticks to expend

If there’s stuff I can’t table
I’ll do more when able—
Adjustment, my only true friend.

Payback

The reckoning approaches
As darkness encroaches
Like black winged scavengers borne
From turbulent shadows
That creep across meadows
This chilly and ominous morn

The mood is unsettled
When endlessly nettled
By loss to the fiends we allow
To sit in high places
And judge with smug faces
We must demand recompense now!

Food for Thought

While working in the kitchen
My mind
Will pick on existence like
A rind
And feast upon whatever flesh
I find.

Assimilation

The equity you crave
Cannot be decreed
So step right up and earn

The rights no one should waive,
Contribute to succeed—
It really isn’t all that hard to learn.

Down to Earth

She was in the geology field
They called her very grounded
Her fertile mind was in a different place
For once the evening sky revealed
The stars, she was astounded
And dreamed of fossil hunting out in space:

Imagining a cratered moon
Or asteroid in passing
Guiding probes to sift through dirt and stone
Beneath a crystal studded dune
And carefully amassing
The goods to prove we've never been alone.

Vortex

I'm trying to type but my thumb
Has gone completely numb
I thought global warming was here
Now how will they foster fear?
Beware the narratives they spin
Which find a way to suck you in.

Building

A structure isn’t always that
Which time proceeds to fell
Sometimes it’s a habitat
For those who like to dwell

And other times it helps connect
The distant or estranged,
For every causeway left erect
Direction can be changed

Every girder, every bolt
And every white-hot spark
That comes from a constructive jolt
Is a life transforming arc.

Tepid

Did you ever turn on the cold
And wait for it to get hot?
Well unfortunately, like me
Your brain may be shot

I wish that I could tell you
That some remedies exist
Trust me, I’d be one of the first
On the waiting list.

Quaternion

A brand new age is only years away
The one behind the scenes was heard to say
So spoiled it believed itself divine
In search of weaker types on which to dine.

It echoed in his mind, a tape on play
A brand new age is only years away
This politician had a speech to give
Instructing all the sheep how they must live.

The anchor woman stared into the lens
To reinforce the script to docile citizens
A brand new age is only years away
Are those who trust so easy to betray?

The average person watching their TV
Must question everything they hear and see
If people make the perpetrators pay
A brand new age is only years away.

Banger

Annoyingly piercing
Or piercingly annoying?
Either way it sounds like something
You won’t be enjoying.

Oh Balls

Survival is a multitask
You do it or you don’t
And you may get help if you ask
But oftentimes you won’t

So learn to be a juggler
Or life’s a trying span
If not, perhaps a snuggler
And find someone who can.

V̅

When you fancy round numbers
And your fervor's wholehearted
You may forego slumbers
For one where you started.


***Well, as you can see from my archives to the right, my 20th anniversary of blogging here will be next year. I am rapidly approaching 4000 posts and would love to hit 5000 on November 17th 2025. Since I took a break for a while from daily posting, the only way to achieve that is multiple posts in one day. The question is, can I keep up that pace? Stay tuned!***

Cellular

Is anything real on the internet?
Well here’s one truth on which you can bet
The ardor that prompted these words to flow
Is not a hoax or innuendo

It streams from somewhere deep inside
Transmitted through every nucleotide
Creative content without a price
From my cell straight to your device.

Millennialism

I have moral superiority,
I don’t need brakes
According to the television
I never make mistakes
All I have to do is just
repeat whatever they say
So take your bumper and go boomer
You’re ruining my day.

Raise the Bar

If your soapy isn’t sudsy
It just may be a dudzy
Forgive me for the trouble
If I’ve gone and burst your bubble
Perhaps some rubzy dubzy
Could make your lather double.

Liberating

The song of a bird
In the morning, when heard,
Is that what first stirred
The need to be free,

Was it wind in the hair
Or a burst of fresh air?
I think it’s quite fair
To say maybe all three.

Deep

“Oh no, not the rain!”
He gasped as he began to feign
Paroxysms of pain
A truly Oscar worthy bit

Her eyes became grim
Looking sternly over the rim
Of her glasses at him
“Hilarious you little shit!”

Then he took her hand
While smiling at the reprimand
No surface dwellers understand
When love becomes legit.

Progenitor

You gave me
The best of you
A sapling tree
That only grew

Well or ill
Good and bad
You loved me still
Happy birthday Dad!

Solicitations

What do you think is odder
Using failure for fodder
Or satire as solder?

As long as someone’s reading
I'm fine with conceding
(don’t make me start pleading).

Way to Go

If you view life as an adventure
You can’t wait for the next chapter
Where you’ll go
Who you’ll know
While chasing what you’re after

The mundane turns fulfilling
That is if you are willing
Take your shot
Fill your plot
With a climax extra thrilling.

Chiseled

Foolish old men
Should never think young
Or say, Well, back then…
If they hate being stung

By the candor of youth
That flows so carefree
Revealing the truth
For those who won’t see

The sucker beheld
In the mirror each morn—
Delusions dispelled
By reflections of scorn.

Grind

Does coffee fuel compromise?
He pondered watching ringlets rise
Above his steaming cup of brew
Maybe in a sip or two

Though bitterness can complicate
A chance for people to relate
Enjoy your quibbles and caffeine
With one you love, know what I mean?

Almost

New year
Same old temptations
One beer
Absolves reservations
So near
The best of situations:
No fear
Or expectations.

Pro-Vanity

When rinsing out the color just applied
I laugh about the depth of human pride
Disguising what took decades to accrue
In hopes that someone says, “Well look at you!”

Bridge

It takes you to another place
A long forgotten time
To get you past the droning signature lag
An interval of lilting grace
Beyond the grief and grime
A shortcut to escape the latest snag

Conveying sentimental souls
Through dark uneven ways
A portal to that lost idyllic Then
You touch the radio controls
Remembering that blaze
The span you wish you could traverse again.

Wild

A peacock is a flamboyant flamingo
Or so I heard somebody say
And my dog most resembles a dingo
When he eyes me in that hungry way.

Undeterred

As the new year began
He pondered his course
A reticent man
Well versed in remorse
But never a plan

For such involved trust
To help counteract
The setbacks that must
Perplex such a pact
And his faith was just

So-so as of late
Existence had been
Much harder to date
Than way back when
But hope was innate

And as the sun rose
He shielded his eyes
And said, “Who knows
if it’s foolish or wise?
We'll see how it goes.”