Noxious

Your dogma of dismissal
is the poison in my veins,
that jaunty tune you whistle
the requiem for gains—

it’s a lethal combination
when you’re forced to swallow shit
while feigning your elation
as though you savor it.

Asswipe

Impertinent pampered babies write
improper little rants
but when you call them out to fight
they poop their big-boy pants.


***Dedicated to Flash :P***

Routed

Deception isn’t always deceit
nor self awareness conceit;
a moment of motion
can be less than moving,
hold fast to the notion
that shuns their disproving
for no high’s quite as sweet
as when the rich retreat.

Getting Old

I hear the din
I taste the sweat
that soaks my chin
because of debt
why breed a class to owe?

I see the grime
I smell the stink
at any time
it could end in a blink
but I would miss it so

I chase the truth
I feel the lie
forsaking youth
to find out why
we never seem to grow.

Sobriety

“Getting off?” she coyly purred
he smiled and said “Quite soon.”
they drank until their speech was slurred
then left the dark saloon,
to nestle where they wouldn’t be heard
and gaze upon the moon
while deep inside them something stirred
like a turbulent typhoon.

“If you insist I won’t say no.”
he nonchalantly quipped
she laughed and touched his arm just so
with fingers that were ruby-tipped
and sparkled in the moony glow
as they discreetly sipped
champagne and got to really know
that urge by which we’ve all been gripped.

Swallowable?

“Come and see the toad that glowed!”
an enterprising raven crowed
with such excitement when he spoke
that all the woodland creatures showed,

but disappointment quickly loomed
because they knew the act was doomed
when the gloomy toad was heard to croak
“The firefly has been consumed.”

Spangled

They flash like Zeus’s ire
these fashioners of fire
and deck the dusky field
with wonderment they wield.

Limitations

I had my bite of apple
and found it rather tart
for why should someone grapple
between their life and art?

The difference is the boundaries
as one has none at all
within our fragile foundries
we crawl or freely fall.

Con

'Are you there? Say a prayer for the pretender
who started out so young and strong only to surrender.'
- The Pretender, Jackson Browne


My brain is like mush
and the harder I push
there’s more of it spattering out
so I sit on my tush
and with a great whoosh
expel this malingering doubt—
it’s bound to come back
for life has a knack
of mocking us thoroughly when
we’re on the right track
but then double back
to the comforting call of our pen.

Mortimer's Morsel - X

His fame was like a concrete cell
diminishing in size
with every new distraction that arose,
if he had known the hectic hell
that infamy supplies
he would have left the crowing for the crows,
he wondered how much longer he could pose

and knew it wouldn’t be that long
before he finally flipped
and started screaming “Get away from here!”
imagine how the docile throng
would stand there lacquer-lipped
and maybe some would even shed a tear.
He wished that he could simply disappear

just like his buddy Augustine
(that no one seemed to miss)
without whom there would not have been a quest
when they returned he’d ring the queen
in hopes of finding bliss
by putting her good humor to the test
with a slightly unconventional request.

And now outside the throne room stands
a regal looking bust
of Augustine, The Founder of The Chip,
remembered fondly through the lands
as someone ants could trust
he taught them how to give the cook the slip
and now they bring back goodies every trip,

while Mortimer goes out each day
in search of something new
content to be a loner with a scheme,
he smiles as he makes his way
beyond the masses who
may think his life’s as bland as it must seem
but a dreamer’s bound to have another dream.

Mortimer's Morsel - IX

“NO!” cried Mortimer in shock
his tiny mind upset,
unable to accept what he had seen
he had to hunker down to block
the still impending threat
but only one thought bounced within his bean—
‘Where in the world was Augustine?’

When the danger seemed at last to pass
and Mortimer could walk
he quickly scrambled down to claim his prize
he gazed upon the chocolate mass
and felt his muscles balk
at thoughts of moving anything that size
but luckily he knew a bunch of guys.

He hurried home to tell his tale
which no one would accept
until he showed the sample he had saved
and then they formed a work detail
excluding the inept
for there were other horrors to be braved
obtaining this confection that they craved.

And all the while that they marched
the strangest thing occurred
it seemed he suddenly had countless friends
he looked at some with eyebrows arched
they never ere proffered
the caring pleasantries an ally sends
he found himself confused by these new trends,

and truth be told a bit annoyed
he had no time to think
for someone new was always standing there
pretending they were overjoyed
or swaying on the brink
of ecstasy if only he would share
a moment of his day to meet their stare.

Mortimer's Morsel - VIII

“I guess it’s time to head on back
and offer up our plea.”
said Mortimer in quite a lower pitch
he paused to contemplate the crack
and wondered silently
why every dream must overcome a glitch
and that was when they felt the morsel twitch.

While just above their heads the cook
who had some rare spare time
inspected all the floors before he mopped
and he was glad he’d had a look
for ants were starting to climb
up through a tiny crack and must be stopped
so he quickly grabbed the vacuum that was propped

in the corner with other cleaning tools
to promptly whisk away
those pests that came to infiltrate his place
for sanitation topped the rules
a kitchen must obey
and he would not be labeled a disgrace
those ants would all be gone without a trace!

But Mortimer and Augustine
were keeping so intent
on moving their colossal candy treat
they didn’t hear that cruel machine
or sense the change in scent
until it was too late for a retreat
so close to their campaign being complete

for through their fierce tenacity
with every little shove
they’d found a way to tackle their despair,
then suddenly the chip flew free
while somewhere from above
they felt a force that tugged at every hair,
then Augustine was sucked into the air.

Mortimer's Morsel - VII

“Well, all we can do is try our best.”
responded Augustine
who picked a side and hastily began,
then Mortimer jumped in there lest
his idleness was seen
as a way to be complacent for a span
while taking all the credit for the plan.

They pushed and pulled and scratched and dug
for all that they were worth
and still they couldn’t seem to make it budge
and if they did they’d yet to lug
its monumental girth
then Augustine, remembering his grudge,
deduced that he had been too quick to judge

his fellow ant that liked to dream
he wasn’t just a bum
determination bristled in his soul
and now that they had formed a team
perhaps the time had come
for him to realize a greater role
and force that stubborn windfall through the hole.

Their efforts drained the both of them
until they had to stop
and take a look at what their work had wrought,
if only they could get that gem
to wiggle free and drop
but it stayed stuck no matter how they fought,
of course they couldn’t help but feel distraught.

“Well Mortimer what’ll we do?”
said Augustine at last,
“Do we stay and fight or go round up the corps?”
And in his heart Mortimer knew
that things would go so fast
if he sought help to come and fetch his score
besides, that’s what worker ants were for.

Mortimer's Morsel - VI

and that was when old Augustine
decided to appear
to spring the trap he’d deviously laid
his carefully rehearsed routine
was credibly sincere
enough that Mort was easily made
to think that he was there to lend his aid.

“Hey Mortimer my man
what’s going on
and what’re you doing wandering out this far?
You know the unofficial ban
our kind has put upon
this place, but still, here you are
did you find a way to make yourself a star?”

“Oh Augustine, I’m glad you’re here!”
Mortimer exclaimed,
“I need your help to get some food I’ve found.”
The trust he showed his petty peer
made Augustine ashamed,
convincing him to drop the axe he’d ground,
the anthill’s need for food was more profound.

‘What food could there be?’ thought Augustine
‘My tale was just a ploy
to get him out where no one else will go.’
His curiosity was keen
his character quite coy
until they stood beside that ghostly glow
then he saw the chip and whispered “Whoa!”

“Exactly.” Uttered Mortimer
a quiver in his voice
as both of them were wondering what to do,
“We’ve got to trim, if you concur,
the edging of your choice
and then perhaps, with luck, we’ll pull it through.
Does anything I’ve said sound good to you?”

Mortimer's Morsel - V

except for Mort who quickly sped
directly towards The Gap
scenarios of triumph constantly
exploding in his wishful head
until he had to slap
himself with fierce authority
so he could fully function properly.

Approaching the forbidden place
he chose to take it slow
and really have a careful look around,
he inched along until his face
was tickled by the glow
then jumped from being startled by a sound
and that was when his destiny was found,

for wedged within the crack he saw
a mountain of delight
dark brown and smelling mmm so very sweet
but how could his small digits claw
it free? Oh what a plight!
He struggled to obtain the monstrous treat,
defiantly denying his defeat.

At last he had to take a rest
and reassess his plan
there was just no way he’d get that thing to move
he’d have to head back to the nest
and mobilize his clan
he’d need their help to clear that dreaded groove
besides, he had nothing left to prove.

He scraped a sample from his prize
so others would believe
and rapidly began the trek back home
he was slightly rattled by its size
and hoped they could retrieve
the goods, while somewhere in his tiny dome
an anxious insect mind began to roam,