Poems: 201120 - November 20th, 2020

181120A
----------- 

We recall the variations 
as to how we learned 
the always tough lessons 
as to everything 
we could never expect
jumping out from the dark. 

All the set up 
and the push over 
along trap lines of word
as hunted things 
that we became
makes it stand on end. 

The propaganda said 
it was always easy 
making a killing 
and all you had to do 
was to try
trying again and again. 

Send $19.95  
plus shipping and handling 
for the complete kit
including a free book 
on how to get rich quick
with special bonus offers. 

Most of us were wise 
to that sort of thing
even if not much else 
other than the burger girl 
belonged to someone 
who rode a big Harley. 

You didn't mess with that
when you still had milk shake 
at the corners of your lips
and knew full well 
it was a bad idea 
to die that way. 

We had better shakes 
back in those days 
though sometimes the knees
trembled too much 
at maybe saying something 
wrong to the wrong girl. 

We were conscious that way
but not yet to be taken 
as anything serious
outside of kept 
after school for failing
at rote memorization. 

We didn't really know 
how important it was 
to remember useless things
learned in class
and hiding it somewhere 
under a sleeve. 

It was part of a game 
some teachers played 
as to hide and cheat 
making us almost believe
in getting away with 
avoiding attention. 

We were so obvious 
at everything back then 
and starting to believe 
we could sing out of tune 
to become something 
truly original. 

We had good intentions
usually found out
and chased away 
the way dust is brushed off
with the edge of a broom
into a dust pan. 

Sometimes I wonder 
what would have happened
if we had had real courage 
to do more than red rover 
red rover, crossing over
to the other side. 

-------------------- 

181120B
----------- 

We were the linger 
along the watering 
eyes moist wish guesses 
at what it really means 
fished into inconceivable 
of real long runs. 

Anything but 
ending up home 
before dinner plate 
sessions of what 
was answered quietly
nowhere and nothing. 

We did the examples 
at failure to understand 
what the meaning was 
behind the patterns 
printed cloth frolic 
imagined wild flower. 

A few got away 
into the expensive 
of what came later 
spreading as envy 
glimmering sun's light
on crushed grass blades.

None of them ever did 
grant wishful of any
visiting tourists 
to promised lands 
parting the dead seas
of more usual faces. 

They were smarter 
about some things 
in the knowing 
where parties were
but never tell 
what that truth was. 

It always seems 
they won at something
that we lost at 
in badly staged games
of skins and shirts 
without the passion. 

We were stick figures 
and they were flesh
privilege self given
something animal 
having surrendered 
to that sort of freedom. 

We missed out 
so very much 
passing us by 
in peripheral vision
heard to say
never in and over. 

Sleep walkers 
in the never knew 
half of the anything 
it was all about 
but still imagined 
headed somewhere.  

------------------------

181120C
----------- 

Some of us learned 
what was in a text 
only for the reason 
that it was there. 

Men climbed mountains 
for no reasons 
other than habits 
and impressing girls. 

Some did it that way 
and others differently 
making impressions 
somewhere else. 

The impressions 
were what it was about 
and paper, boot, bullet
was another hierarchy. 

It was about deeper 
and sometimes wider 
but always getting in under
the surface polite. 

Why it was so tragic 
to be inclined to poetry 
and being written off 
more often than not. 

No touch downs 
were ever scored 
by means of struggling 
with blank verse. 

No way to actually get
what you really want
from underneath 
the word wrappings. 

The peel away 
layers of meanings 
leaving nothing 
actually touching. 

You do not get it 
until you have done it
any number of times 
as to finding your ghost. 

Never finding a way 
to really say 
how very lonely 
that made you feel. 

------------------------ 

201120A
------------ 

I searched for peace
and I found war. 

I searched for love
and I found hate. 

I searched for a place 
and I found nowhere. 

I searched for freedom 
and I found chains. 

I searched for you 
and I found me. 

I searched for an end 
and I found a search. 

-------------------------- 

211120A
----------- 

Hearing tell 
about their pillow stains
of demarcations
at the no man's lands 
on battlefield beds. 

Rubbing thighs 
and tugging at 
their  wishbones 
a chicken parade moved
along the hallway. 

Bared legs 
flightless winged 
flutter tongued
hatch of scheming 
purloined nests.  

Ruffled feathers 
being magnetized 
to cock's crowing 
imagining anew
varied novel betrayals. 

Fornication is common
as a typical response 
to common daily 
typologies of tragic
fillings of spaces. 

You could break down
most usual monotony
but only if you let go 
one or another 
favourite cruelty. 

I once saw plans 
for various accidents 
and that made for trouble
ever since then
no matter where we collided. 

A part of the soul
has escaped 
and there are search parties
having been sent out 
in attempts at finding. 

We saw them hanging 
from street lights 
waiting for when 
night goes out 
in flickers of blame. 

Never the free 
and never the brave 
but holding on 
to a reluctant hand 
in the surge crowds. 

Gazed at what exists 
at  the made up world 
looking so pretty 
in its continual attempts
to slip away. 

He had what he wanted
and now she is baggage
as he exits 
to that next itch 
at a next stop. 

Another of the usual
attempted intercessions 
before someone calls out
interrupting a priest 
conducting carnal rites. 

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More or less wordy doodles now, and back to normal without such reminisce as was the once wasn't times of never really when.