Reeds

Northern Tennessee
December 1863
In early winter
With the campaigns
Slowly ending til spring
I walked near the river
Cold, with the low sun
Still warmed by the fact
That there was relative quiet
No battles, no attacks
I noticed how the reeds
Still were standing
After they’d died
Here, from the cold
Imagined if soldiers did the same
How that would end war forever
If the dead were never
Hidden from view
With their flesh left behind
And fled souls
And vacant eyes
So that we might not forget
The tragedies endured
The lives lost with regret
The things that are true
Flee, with the rage of war
Innocence dies
We hide our memories
With the graves
So that we might find reasons
To make wars
Again and again
The dead are gone
Their lives undone
Our scars of memories pass
Remembering the glow
Rather than the dim
Of lives too broken to last

DEMONIC

Shishiguchi is me
I am the demon fool
Cursed by my wisdom
Blessed by my ignorance
This world is my kingdom
I have no resistance
To the pleasures of my flesh
To the abating of my breath
I am king
Of this hellish domain
I am demon
Knowing full well
There is nowhere
I can go
For the chains
That keep me in hell
I embrace
And become entwined in
The soaring glory
Of my sins

Overcome

The sounds of labor and machines
The screams of laborers
Crying for freedom and sleep
Nothing remains but to labor and to toil
Workers crushed by the machines they serve
We dream of freedom, of love and hope
But we labor and toil endlessly
Becoming unaware of the cost
Our children follow
Mindlessly
Devoting
Flesh and blood
To the growing piles
Of material lust
Who are we to question
Or wonder if we are in
Denial
That the world we've made
Is nothing like
The world we were given
That we have corrupted
Eden
And now we are living
As mechanical drones
Decay preventing our rise
To overcome the destiny
The lies of fate
Our pained legacies
Of our dreams
Crushed under steel
When our world was
Green
Fruitful
Plentiful
Enough for all
And now we burgeon
beyond our means
Forgetting the pride
That goes before our fall
We have earned the end
We have deserved the decay
For we created it
Invited it
And no one
Is the better for it

Overcome

Gaze somewhere else

In every moment there remains
The chance to free ourselves
From the void’s gaze
But we are starstruck in the belief
That what we are is important
And so the gaze lures us
We become captured by our reflection
And we are paralyzed by inaction
For we long to be desired
We long to be pretty
We long for importance
We long to be unique
Rather than drones
Instead our lives are dirty
And crisp in the burning fire
Of the inferno behind the void

How can one...?

If you've had the finest vintage
Drank from the perfect glass
Enjoyed the most divine wine
How can you return
To water
And pretend it is good

TO BE RELEASED

Every new day
Means another passed
All my tears
Dried
Only to pour again
There is nothing
From first to last
Since I came here
I’ve spent in prayer
Knees bent
Til they bled
So many years
Poured into the void
Sweet Jesus
So many years spent
With no hope
Cursed by my birth
Committed to years
In this captivity
With no release
No birds singing
No gardens of beauty
No beautiful aromas
I see ahead
More
Of nothing
No matter
How sweetly promised
There is nothing
No one is waiting
For me
Nothing to dream
Nothing captivating
No beauty
No hope
Nothing beyond this
For me
Take this life
Spent upon me
Give it to another
Let me die
Let me turn to dust
Free me to be in heaven
Free me from my prison of lust
And let me sleep
Somewhere
Where streets are gold
Where there is no pain
Where the children smile
Where love never grows cold

Hollowed by the Pain

I loved a Princess
Her golden hair and perfect eyes
Called me from my slumber
From my dreams
For here she was, so golden and perfect
And I was there, so tired and burdened
I could not lift a hand to call to her
She called me with her voice
Again and again
But I could not reply
It was not a choice
It was a debt of honor one makes
To carry a banner of the queen
To so is a privilege not a curse
To desire another would not do
And to leave would make things worse
I burn in the memory of that debt
For it can not be paid
And I am filled with regret
Forever since
My heart wounded
And the ravens call me
Through the cold rain
For my soul died a little
And they see through
My being
For I am hollowed from the pain

No Straight Line

“There are no facts, only interpretations.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Unglaublich, I am amazed
Completely horrified
By the abject waste
Of lives and potential
Thrown away

Nothing matters but our desire
Our lust and inner fires
So ignore the world
Ignore the consequences
Build walls so high, erect electric fences
Buy guns, build defenses

Herd the ignorant, breed the drones
To dig our ditches like mindless clones
We desire pleasure beyond anything
We treasure our blessed leisure
So fuck the world let there be darkness
For there is nothing beyond this

We are time, we are flesh, we are God
Let your praises to me sing
For I am all there is
And all there will ever be
Is me

We are self made divine
Self christened as deity
In all of nature
There is not a single
Straight line
Nor eventually
Will there be
Humanity

“Mathematics would certainly have not come into existence if one had known from the beginning that there was in nature no exactly straight line, no actual circle, no absolute magnitude.” Friedrich Nietzsche

She Gave Thanks

He didn’t hear a word
He never heard the jury
Say the phrase Not guilty
All he heard was
His mama screaming
Oh praise the Lord!
Her tears and prayers
Had worked
And he met her eyes
Tears streaming down
Was he innocent?
No Lord, no
But he wasn’t guilty
Of what they had said
And blamed him for
But his mama knew better
She knew he’d rather be dead
Than lie to his mama
About something so big
As taking the chastity
Of a white woman
On a cold Friday night
Against her will
He’d done things
He’d regretted
But he never did
Those things
They blamed him for
That made his mama’s soul
Sing to the heavens
To praise, to beseech
She knew
God would answer the prayers
Of a righteous woman
A widow
Knocking on the justice’s door
Again and again
Until he saw her heart
So broken by the wrong
Because she knew her son
Knew his heart was good
And knew she had to be strong
Because the ways of justice
Sometimes are tangled
And can take so long
Praise the Lord she said
I have my son back
Thank you God

Return Prometheus' Gift

The land was green
Until it burned
With a fire
Stolen by a Titan
From the Gods
For the use of men
A star from the heavens
Burning as it would fall
Catastrophic torment
The bitter wood poisoned
Will no one answer
The children’s call
Help us oh Lord
We are lost
The land is burned
The people have cancer
The message is sent
We have heard
But we refuse to stop
Using the fire
Stolen
Before we become
The anvil
Of the Gods
To be crushed
We must return the fire
To heaven
Or this waking nightmare
Will continue
Until forever
Has begun

"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:10, 11)

“The city of Chernobyl is named after the Ukranian word wormwood or Chornobyl.” Wikipedia

Raven Flying Over Stones

The raven flew above the stones
Set into place by ancient men
Long ago
To mark their holy ground
To place a monument
To remember
Not a sound in the area
A testament to the reverence
A solitary existence
Of a sanctuary
For the memories
Of the lost
Ancient tribes of men
Forgotten but for the stones
Never appearing again
Over the green horizon
But the stones remain

Ancient Place, Haunted Metropolis

Ancient dead city
Metropolis of flesh
Where the dead are dust
And our legacies
Are in vain
The steel beams and walls
Concrete dreams
Alone without
Human companions
They’ve gone away
They’ve long abandoned
The walkways
And fashions
Of the dead city
For worlds
Far away
From this
Haunted necropolis
Narcopolis
Place of sorrow
Where the spirits walk
And memories inhabit
The high reaches
Of the steel perches
Where no beasts
Yet exist
Where stray thoughts
No longer resist
The fires and hail of Babylon
Every damned nation
Suffered the damnation
Of the woes of the flesh
When the whore rode in
And the land screamed
For the devastations
And death
And sin

Useless Tucson Sacrifice

Is it any wonder
The altar has been consecrated
With the life of so many taken
By their blood the dais so painted
The saints tears concentrated
With no walls lifted
No barriers to protect the innocent
From the guilty
Nothing to sustain the children
In a world undone gone insane
We are guilty
Everyone of the sacrifice
Of the innocent
Guilt pouring down
No justice
No savior sent
To save us
From our selves
No blood for sin
Because there is
No perfect lamb
To offer up
For none are unflawed
To save this place
To save this land
From us

Broken By The Bestial

The smell of blood and sperm
Stain the leaves in the wood
Her soiled clothing disheveled
Bruised body
Crawling to get up
The rapist left her behind
When he got what he wanted
And now the rest of her life
Is lived in pieces
This world is in decay
Every moment it is dying
Humanity becomes more bestial
As the days go on
No respect for life
Nor care for others
Simply carrying out
The path of lust
For all things
Without relent
We are animals still
But worse
For our intelligence grows
While our capacity for violence
Has never ceased to be
Subdued

JUMP INTO THE SUN

“Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.” Edgar Allan Poe

Let me leap into the inferno
Let me jump into the sun
Burn me to a crisp
Let this flesh bound life be done
But my spirit will still fly
It cannot be destroyed
I was made by the one
Who created everything
From all existence
To eternal void
The angels sing
I am dust, and clay
The one is eternal
And perfect
I bow down and pray
For worship is proper
In reflection of the architect
Of all there is
I am a speck
Dust in wind
I am nothing
As I reflect
I know my creator is good
For the world is bountiful
And perfect
Unlike me
So let me be consumed
By the fire of creation
Let me be redeemed
At once recreated
God is more than all
I am nothing
So it is possible
For me to believe

“Even in decline, a virtuous man increases the beauty of his behavior. A burning stick, though turned to the ground, has its flame drawn upwards.” Saskya Pandita

Flesh Bound Prison

I always fall away
I can never see
Thrown into an ocean of darkness
Through the darkest night
I fall to my fate
Made of flesh
I am left imprisoned
When torn from your embrace
Scorned for the want of a taste
Of your lips, of your being
When you kiss me deeply
Total desire sated
Without it I am devastated
Wounds scorn my soul
Of my senses
When you leave
Je perds le contrôle total
Je suis perdu
Je suis plein du désespoir



Blessed by Him

I used to think I would die
Consumed by fire
Or hanging by my own whim
I had no desire to live
I was crushed by my own sin
But then I had a son
Who made me hope again
Who washed my tears away
Who gave me the light of day
When all I had was night
I am told I shouldn’t seek salvation
In the being of another person
But I didn’t seek a thing
I was blessed
And it was by him

poisoned

toxic and overwhelming
shocking rape of the world
venomous hideous chasm
between right and wrong
The earth screams
telling us of our errors
but our path doesn’t change
this deeply poisoned earth
is no longer so fair
no longer dreaming
but shocked into waking
due entirely to our presence
how we’ve lost everything
we’ve been given
simply by how we live

Maybe these recent stories aren’t about human caused tragic events but I bet they are...
1 2

You have no right

Don't tell me I can't cry
Never ask me to stop
You gave up your chance
To make that demand
With will so free
When you said no
To a life with me
You now have no say in my life
No control
But you stand and beg me to not feel the pain
Of pain that is real, to not be made wet
By the rain inside my soul
I am sorry but there is nothing left
In your hand, there are no aces
And no cards up your sleeve
So don't tell me not to cry
Not to sorrow
Not to grieve
A love you abandoned
A life without tomorrow
A life with me
Not enough for you
But more than enough
For me
So don't you dare tell me not to cry
You already chose to decide
And there is nothing left
For you to say but goodbye



Say goodbye
Goodbye

Through Fire

When you asked me
To stand up next to you
And take your hand
I did
I was humbled
When you asked me
To walk through fire
For you
I did
I was burned
But I'd still do both again
For my love for you
Is a flame
Cannot be tamed
Grows steadily
Repeatedly reminding
How much you mean to me
And how lost I’d be
Without you
When you asked if
I'd stand before the judge
And take the punishment
Meant for you
I did
There is nothing I would not do
Because I love you
I walk through fire daily
For you
My heart is true
Clarity of purpose
I know my heart
Is so full of you
I cannot ever
Escape from my desire
To be with you
I walk through fire

Tree and Cloud

She is not around
Any longer
She is somewhere
Now
That I don’t remember
So the point is moot
But I laughed when
I was told I was
Like a tree she said
I gave her roots
To grow strong
To become tall
Weather the storms
But instead
I told her
I know what I am
A cloud that drifts
Along slowly
Offering rain
And occasionally
Cover from the sun
I didn’t shelter her
Nor deny her hope
I didn’t hold her down
Or promise things so great
I just float
Giving rain
Giving shade
And moving on
Until I am gone
I cannot be
What I am not
I just exist
And float about
I wish I were
Someone else
I wish I were
Not myself
But I am

SNAKE

Timeless is the serpent visage
Devoured of its own tail
Inwardly it invests
Deeply its own viscera
While we flail
At the ignominious end
Of our own time
Eternity devours nothing
But dreams
But lives
And consumes nothing
But sleep
But the earth and skies
Destroying everything of matter
For the truth of the why
We beg for knowledge
Rejecting all wisdom
We detest the truth
While demanding proof
There is nothing but
The eternal and matter
Coexisting in infinity
While we beg for the key
To knowing what
When the answer
To the question why
Is that which would allow
Being free
Instead of the gnawing cancers
Of screaming at the sky

SOMNAMBULISM

To reach a place
Where to take a breath
Leaves me disgusted with myself
As I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I stumble, and fall
Crumble and cry
I am sleepwalking through life
Because I long to dream
For you are there
When I finally sleep
You are my love
There
If not here
Life offers nothing
Without you
So I prefer
To dream of you
Where you are proof
Of something that is worth
Living
Empty in life
Fulfilled in dreams
Without you
There is only living
Walking
Without hope
Animated flesh
Somnambulism

PUSH

Sisyphus was tormented
To push a boulder up a hill
Only for it to roll back
Never allowing a moment
Of rest, or a life to fulfill
We push all the time
Nothing changes
Nothing will
Those who believe life is a ride
Sit back waiting
For some thrill
But the boulder comes back
Time after time

To Be In This Masquerade

Until forever comes
I am waiting
I long for her
Endlessly
My thirst unsaited
I long to kiss her
To hold her
To be with her
In the tall grass
To be in her presence
To be awash in her scent
To revel in her being
I long to be drenched
In her kisses
That pour from her soul
She is exquisite
Perfectly made
Who am I to ask
To be with her
Who am I to be a party
To such a grand masquerade
Where our flesh is mask to our soul
I am no one, no one at all
Just a man who burns
And knows to answer the call
Deep inside my being
For when I see her
I am made whole

CLICK THIS IMAGE, PLEASE

Click to enlarge... Artist Fred Fields and I collaborated upon a work, called Liquid. His image, my words...

Ghosts of Teutoburg Forest

3 Months after the disaster
They still walked
Scouting the wilds
Of Germania
Snows still fly
Over the frozen earth
Where was youth spent
Lives were bent
By the collision
Of Roman arms
And Barbarian guile

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nikater

So many lost
Buried under leaves
Autumn then winter
The fallen
Kept in abject silence
For none tread the ground
Animal or human
Where the disaster occurred
In the horror of the battle
Both sides were found
By fates falling
Falling
Like snow
And bodies
Frozen in time
Their corpses
Unmoving
Except in memory

Bare

You left me like a tree
Stripped bare in Autumn
Nude to the world
With just my body
To face the eyes
Of all who look
Or stare
With your lies
No disguise
Of your hate for me
You say you loved me
But you could never have
To have done such a thing
You drown me in such sorrow
Because my heart towards you
Was full
Of things like hope, faith and mercy
Filled with love and dreams of
Tomorrow
But now
There is nothing
No hope inside
Farewell to my dreams
I’ll sleep until I desire
To finally wake
And that isn’t happening
Until the steps I cannot
I have the strength to take

I Am Surrounded

Surrounded in the fields
By the grains ready for harvest
Stunned by the beauty
The gifts from earth to yield
Your love we attest
You feed us
Clean us
Give us air to breathe
And on this earth we see
A treasure from above
Seed to eat
To save and plant beyond
We are one my lord
In need
In need of who you are
We are one, oh God
Your word
Gives this world life
And we plead
For your mercy
And we pray
For your saving grace
You are lord of all

My Love, I am Dying

I didn’t expect to die
Bleeding on some unnamed hill
For a country fighting
Against Franco
And all the fascists
While my heart
Was so grievously taken
By you
I should never have
Allowed it to start
This love inside
You couldn’t be mine
Couldn’t allow yourself to love
Me
Daughter of Madrid elite
Trapped in such a war
Su familia
Suma importancia
I was just an American
Fighting for something
That I didn’t really understand
And I allowed myself
To fall
In a foreign land
Unloved
Unsorrowed
So sad
To not be with you