all of a sudden passion suddenly

[Guest]

I echo Boo's sentiments, perks. Don't hide those ruffles anymore.


No big yellow taxi took my old man away
Just a beat up rusty Chevrolet.
No Jonni Mitchel music wafted by
I didn’t even feel the need to cry
The only thing to follow was a mangy stray
No big yellow taxi took my old man away.

He never really showed me if he cared
It’s no surprise he left me, running scared
But there he was, leaving in the rain
Searching for his fistful of cocaine
I would have liked to have my feelings spared
He never really showed me if he cared.

Our loving always seems to end in fights
And other not-so-wonderful delights
There was a time when everything was fine
Then he found that pristine powdered line
He’s sure to come home one of these cold nights
Our loving always seem to end in fights

 

[Sibilaire]

non-profit

this place sucks any sign of inspiration
out of my empty spaces
of nothingness

well why dont you write about that feeling


im[ploded inside out
sucking that coke bottle vacuum I implode
inside out
freeing the pea size piece of passion that clicks
dried to the high poloshed laminate
and down through the air vents
I escape


the rats circle


lol

shut up it is not that bad

of course it isnt

 

[Sibilaire]

rice and dirt

tar paper wrapped pine boards
wallet pulls heavy in pocket

under dirt under dirt his logic argues

under and gone

what else do you have

high wax blue marblized
stainless steel engraving


everything
is
automated.

ceremonial shovel
man and wife

numb except for that itch
and ache
moment of panic
WAIT you are getting it dirty


evryhing is automated
feet do not pount down the dirt
gas powered tamper presses it down
no mound will mark this grave as fresh

he tells me this
after discussing the merits of open faced sandwiches

you always see what is coming next
never have to open too wide

 

[Sibilaire]

love

for what reason, this obsession, this weakness

for love

what else is there


love


baby if you go walkin roun naked
dont be bitchin about the sunburn
and frost bite

make a choice
expose the nerve and feel every breeze
tone change
feel every tear
sip the sour milk
hold the child on your chest
feel the breath slow and head find the perfectly wonderful space
between chin and shoulder w
he signs safe
comfor
warmth
love

the weight of this body
upon yours
is more love than you deserve today


expose the nerve
risk that ice cube
and aluminum spock
to shock your system into

hibernation

double cout of fur, eyes under paw

hidden, tight wrap
to recover
gradually remembering the thrill
of exposure

you come to me
with lanternn and gala apple,
paring knife

squinting awake
I do not protest
we do not speak
you edge the first layer of fur and leather from my shoulder
cold bites
reminds me I am alive

kiss my forehead
wrap me back up leaving the lantern behind


why do I wake
squinting to return

love


what else is there

but love and the loss
love and the lack
to remind you

to kneel ebvery day in humility

in knowing there is never enough
to fill this emptiness

only half way
make your own
make your own
make your own
someone whispers to me

make your own
make your own
make your own

 

[Maria2394]

~~~

let me be real and awake
bursting at seams like a tornado

in a walk-in closet, I could
blow you away with my wit

and aspirations, let me be
real, acknowledge that I feel

incomplete the way things are,
I am only a tsunami

in a bathtub, embraced by porcelain
and fixtures of your insecurity,

I am a raging forest fire, out
of sight, captured by asbestos

arms, and packed within a box
of antique Lincoln logs,

let me be a snow storm
drifts piled nine feet high,

let me stand alone and maybe
I’ll choose to stand by your side

 

[Angeline]

In this version
when she was cold
she struck a match
not to burn a blossom
of remembrance,
but to flame the ravelled
sleeve of care to ashes.

In this version
immolation was not
an option,
death was not
a proud rediscovery
of saity or grandmother
beckoning a better world.

In this version
she walked away
from the bonfire,
carried the ragged future
in strong stained hands,
vowing a tomorrow
of barefoot perseverance
beyond the wind's
gray scatterlings.

 

[flyguy69]

Leaning

She leans to me and I am leaf-wrapped
Jasmine, silk,
Rolled in tubes and safe
for skin shed. In this green
space sap offers
a coded command:
metamorphosis. Split
and reveal the fragile
wings, the dreams
that suspend
weightless
in air that rises
from her jasmine neck.

 

[Vampiric_Mirage]

The world weeps
the trees whisper their names
the rivers fill with tears
as our nation stumbles.

Gloriously honoured
theywill remain in our hearts
a poignant tribute to all
who have also fallen.

May the angels guide you to the afterlife
as you guided us in this world -
Fallen heroes
we salute you forevermore.

 

[champagne1982]

I read in the paper they called him deranged
evil assassins are not suffering mental insufficiencies
criminals, in the illogical philosophy of how
their havoc is rationalized
will be called insane
they are not
So now I look out across a sea
of red serge and mournful black
a nation dips its flag for them
a father prays
a brother weeps
a sister grieves
Four strong winds that blow lonely
Seven seas that run high
All those things that don't change
happen again

 

[green lights]

dream in threes

what a good dream to wake up to:


it is the inflection
the tone
the shading on the reflection I hone in on your
slant

slight space between teeth in front

rubbing you by twos
who slide between thighs
pressed tight for me
for each other

quivers of a bridge-borrowed first time thrill

we play whore in the middle

I supply oil
catch and cover

I brought him for you baby
bring him back for me

 

[Maria2394]

while entertaining thoughts of suicide...

his reflection apparent
in copper shine bottom of frying pan
tilted for the perfect angle
living room, sofa, he sits there waiting

fried chicken speaks louder than I do
mashed potatoes have more hold,
I am but merriment, a robot unplugged
a lie, fortune cookies unrolled

so I watched him flip remotely, wallow
wiggle, slurp and sigh, bud the idiot
knows more than I, and suddenly
dinner was itself down Alice's rabbit hole

alone with me, a tunnel of frustraytion
hello, hello, what did you do this time?

I made a mess of the water hole, cannot
seem to get it dry, oh my, oh why
would the scalpel understands its role
the slice and dice of life
in one mans hand, I did not give this gift
but the menatl metal, fretting butcher of wives
can take away, away, another day

let dinner be done, i have tommorow
plans, wash the frying pan, shine the bottom
removes with care and padded hammers
the dent his head left there

just wasnt my day, wasnt my time
wasnt his day, for my suicide

 

[Maria2394]

during my stay at clown college

learning to lear and lean
with bulbous nose, painted wedged
between car door and leather glove
i intimidated pain with all her glory

she was a carpet, she was barren of thread
i heard her laugh in the hallway,
and all the clowns in one tiny car
could never squeeze a tear from a cactus
but i managed a drop of blood
from a stone, and teh crsuh of gravel
beneath my feet stayed as reminder

carpet is fine as long as it covers an ugly floor
and clowns arent funny as they think
they are

 

[Maria2394]

destitute anti-haiku

madleine between cracks,
lumber swells wet, parts, leaves gaps
space to breathe, will do

 

[echoes_s]

his reflection apparent
in copper shine bottom of frying pan
tilted for the perfect angle
living room, sofa, he sits there waiting

fried chicken speaks louder than I do
mashed potatoes have more hold,
I am but merriment, a robot unplugged
a lie, fortune cookies unrolled

so I watched him flip remotely, wallow
wiggle, slurp and sigh, bud the idiot
knows more than I, and suddenly
dinner was itself down Alice's rabbit hole

alone with me, a tunnel of frustraytion
hello, hello, what did you do this time?

I made a mess of the water hole, cannot
seem to get it dry, oh my, oh why
would the scalpel understands its role
the slice and dice of life
in one mans hand, I did not give this gift
but the menatl metal, fretting butcher of wives
can take away, away, another day

let dinner be done, i have tommorow
plans, wash the frying pan, shine the bottom
removes with care and padded hammers
the dent his head left there

just wasnt my day, wasnt my time
wasnt his day, for my suicide

judgement day

they don't understand
scarely kind, mocking
arrogant
over there, detached
peering over papers
and bi-focal beaked views
saying this is my brain
my life
yet why am I not an alcoholic
like my mother
her mother before her
father
great-aunt
grandfather?

and drugs,
ah that I have tasted immortality
this is my problem
mind altering chemicals
I asked for this then
(I tried acid once thinking
to escape this wretched
excuse of living but found
it's illusions were far
grander than I could
ever hope to be,
so surreal)

One doctor takes out
his polished dentures
and points them at me
"you know..." he says
"if you just had friends
you wouldn't have any
problems at all, you
would be happy.
Your problem is
you are alone
and lonely
therefore
you make this problem"

snapping his teeth back in
and with a decisive clack
lick of lips
sickening side-faced slap
he writes upon
his perscription pad
leaves it on the table,
stands up
walks out the door
case closed

 

[echoes_s]

madleine between cracks,
lumber swells wet, parts, leaves gaps
space to breathe, will do

cool mists fondly dance
touch of wet to arid fever
kiss nurtures parched ground

 

[perks]

she stroked together blues and greens
stood up and paced the span of a river
climbed up each stem of the coconut trees
felt the breeze sway everything down
toward the empty space
where words should be
painted

 

[perks]

origami dollars
hold 3.6 grams
waiting to be distributed
to each nostril
and the girl doesn't even know
she IS the high

 

[perks]

I sat spinning
watching her dance
a three year old's hula
wondering how I got
her,
him,
this whole deal
when I wasn't looking
the one internal question
I have
where's my proof?
my lost years?
what did I do, who am I?
and then
then I see
her
and know
the most fantastic answer
is a three year old
dancing.

 

[Guest]

I say, cah-sah-bah
into her ear and it rolls
off smooth, catches
on the end

like how I lick fuzz
off a peach,

sticky cat tongue
in juicy fruit.

She makes me
say it again and again.

Whisper it slow
'casaba...casaba...casaba'

We mellow, pick cherries
strawberries
move to the next aisle, looking
for fondue chocolate.

 

[SeattleRain]

I found two heart shaped stones
on the banks of a creek that has no name
to me, at least

I did not grow up among these sharp
grasses that slice invisible lines
that itch our legs

There is no one to point out
the names of wildflower or tell stories
of the family who worked the lime kiln
and how their life was tragic
and blessed

This is new land its only stories
are the ones I invent
the youngest son who fell
from the retaining wall no one
thought he would pull through


he became a writer
told tales of the furnace
white smoke that stings eyes

and his grandson, the engineer who brings his intern
back to these familiar banks
to test the water
pH, fine particulate matter
at this station where they first kissed

secretly
away
from
eyes


I do not know the name of this creek
where I bring my children,
the children of the ouschlander.

 

[SeattleRain]

stone hearts

I found a heart shaped rock
along the banks of the river with no name

the first was mica flaked granite, sparkling
like store bought magic
it waited for me

It was February

I searched for another,
thinking this was futile
two heart shaped rocks on in one lonely afternoon

but there it was
flattened a bit on one side,
asymetrical

but it was my heart
carved in feldspar
orange-red
small

I gave you two hearts for Valentines day
solid metamoprphic and when March arrived
they still lay where you set them aside,

I carried them safe to my own space

they are mine
i suppose I must own them,
become them
before giving them away

 

[echoes_s]

posting this seems so brash in the beauty you have written Tath...

Joy

sound of wiery pained music
cried softly, sorrow
amidst gathered voices
battling life

a crowd sorting needs and desires,
belief and compromise
self-servitutde,
perhaps satisfactions

some yelling over the storm
before heavy rain
air. damp slow drown of mist
at dusk, that glows deep shadow

and foggy gloom
almost a glimmer of oasis
inner last smile of hope
a tired flame before faltering

for the longest time
I thought this was joy
and it is in a way
Then what is joy?

 

[echoes_s]

The river carried her back

tidal waters
tiny whirlpools
current, rapids
rocks, murky water,
an aged pulp mill
on the other side

yellow foam
frothed the edges
staining rocks
no plant life
mud black
and grained

loon and seals
owned this water,
haunting calls,
mystic, grace
harping welps, piteous
slow creep under water

gentle in her arms
she carried her body
here and held her
and it was in
doing this
she stole her last breath.

 

[annaswirls]

it is a present
just a present

you are not wrapping everything she means to you
inside a box


it is just
a
present

I know
but
but fingers quiver over ribbon
but it is such a insignifigant trinket
meaningless!

it is Just a present
you are not summarizing her existance into a package
with a reciept

I know

damn it

 

[green lights]

singularity
works
for those
whose laser sharp brain can
focus on one thing

of which I crave but never desire

not for this one shattered and scattered this
way
there and blown without limestone
glue

they barely speak to each other
Madagascar annd
Bulgaria

I will tell them we met

dinner conversation is always made more lively
with grit between teeth


grinding down the pain of the plural state
of the low down belly riding sand smooooothed
side winding fork tongued devil
him
self

got me clawing at the door of hipprocacy
you have seen that entryway
sure enough got your claw marks scratched
down that metal knocker
begging entry
I
swear
I
did
not
mean
any harm

paint it red maybe it will all pass by
in a sandstorm dream

you sleep on your side and I will sleep on mine
my love
my
one

my one rock
pressed into a life of sand