Me and My God

 Me and My God

me and my god 

go out for a walk 

sometimes she’s silent 

sometimes she talks too much 

about the state of the world 

her favorite perfume 

and anything else that 

crosses the block 

if I can get a word in 

I sometimes ask for 

small favors 

whether I deserve them or not 

my god likes to test my faith 

she hides my keys 

sends me idiots 

on Mondays 

to teach me patience 

to share some wisdom 

if I behave real well 

she sends me someone to be with 

and then I can forget 

my dear loneliness

that other god 

I often cheat on her with

Woodies

 Woodies

I’ve clicked and travelled on vacation 

shopped and gambled on location

become unraveled with the notion 

this world was made for you and me 

from politicians to corporate interests 

from religions to tribal kingdoms  

to wholesale slaughter of the innocent

this world was made for you and me 

As I was talking in line at Staples 

people in front of me grew impatient 

A Jamaican pensioner 

called the Philippine call center 

while a Dominican clerk helped 

ten other customers 

drop-shipping five dollar pants 

made by Uyghur prisoners 

this world was made for you and me

This world is my world this world is your world 

as it swirls in a blur of colors

as viruses get stronger and longer  

this world was made for you and me

The Blood of Poets

Life happens slowly 

then quickly 

in the eye 

of a hurricane 

everything is silent 

and still 

on the outside 

destruction rages 

things change 

we recover 

we rediscover 

ourselves  

we’re overtaken 

slowly but surely 

by the ghost of 

everything else

You saved my life 

without you 

I would’ve died 

a long lonely death 

over a lifetime 

of tiny regrets

Truth

 truth

truth that ole butter knife 

just might save your life 

why bother with lies 

you can’t remember 

oh yeah money that’s why

everyone needs survival 

but I don’t think you’re gonna starve 

not with that body  

truth yeah you cultivate that honesty

and you can’t keep a job with it 

or a relationship 

but you can live with yourself 

and make the political compromises 

only at the end 

about the stuff that’s 

mostly irrelevant 

Being In

 

Being In

With a pencil book and guitar you can go pretty far
from what you want to become to who you truly are

just takes a break from the noise a corner with defensible lines
to follow your desires
to let them be your guide

with a bed window and desk you can fake the rest
while others are going out you can work on being in

these are the tools I use you can use them, too no one tells these secrets they’re all around you

tools you can use
freely available
ah but to be yourself
that’s much less negotiable

with heart, muscle, mind you can draw the lines around your desires there you’ll find

others like you
in an exclusive group who dance to the beat of their own rhythms

Send a tomorrow Now

I don’t want to dwell on 

disappointments, 

regrets, and fears 

I’ve had enough 

cruelty and greed 

to last me years 

if you could make 

a dream come true 

I’ve just one simple request 

perhaps we could 

make that wish 

or send several prayers 

send tomorrow here 

I want to believe 

the scientists, 

mystics, and my mom 

that tomorrow 

will be brighter 

and my problems will be gone 

that I’ll find love and happiness 

just as sure 

as the sun revolves 

that people have 

the power to get 

everything done 

I want the future now 

consider me spoilt 

impatient 

or wrong 

delusional 

naive 

call me what you want 

but I’ve been hanging on 

with my life 

half a lifetime long 

and before my fingers 

on this ledge get walked 

or worked upon 

throw me a rope 

from your helicopter now 

we need to skip to the happy ending 

the pacing a bit off 

I’ll take tomorrow 

now

Dreams are Documentaries

 Dreams are documentaries

I dreamt you were old and lonely 

you paid me to come over 

to give you courses on something

I dreamt that I felt sorry for you 

doing it strictly for the money 

feeling a certain contempt 

coming over from the next town 

taking a golf cart on the expressway 

feeling dread about your intentions

I woke up realizing that the dream 

was really a documentary  

with the characters reversed

so I deleted you on instagram