Poems: 070722 - July 7th, 2022

240622A
----------- 

The light glimmer 
heated gaze of leaf 
tethered wing flutters
so many desires nag
parched tongue
harbingers of inner  
sediments  thirsting
but all held back.

Dried up ponds 
hungering clay 
cracked shells agape 
with crazed openness 
forever in wanting 
pounding of rivers
from cruel sky
blue talk of rain. 

Want for visionary 
glints in eyes
rather than drab 
despairing looks 
to be caught up 
into conjurer spells 
the glassy walled  
hollow ice caves.

Perpetual patterned 
traverse of veins 
branched out traffic 
streamers cold billow
stretched feigned purpose 
rushes out past  
nagging feelings gone
over loose ends. 

Leaf rustle
paper crunch 
guesses wrapped up
twiggy birds nest 
thoughts tumbling 
into a carry all 
down gurgle streams 
along the once was. 

Bone rattles dried 
snake skin trails 
shed of lives
wrinkled thin layer 
amid rust stains
the flaked stone 
ashen gathered 
up dusty clouds. 

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

240622B
----------- 

I don't read minds
so I don't know 
what anyone thinks.

Sometimes I hear 
what they say 
but doubt it is true. 

Listening politely 
is a soft skill 
everyone should learn. 

Being attentive 
to a crowd 
that has nothing to say. 

I once dreamt 
there were better ways
to spend time. 

That was wrong
but then again 
I was only dreaming. 

We can dream
is what makes us unhappy
about not being able to do. 

The real difference 
between friends and enemies
is whom you believe.  

I don't know anymore
where strangers go 
to meet someone. 

They have been told
to tell everyone 
they are happier alone. 

We are told 
we must leave them alone
with their happiness. 

The people come and go
and there is a speaker today
talking of Michelangelo. 

The rhythms of life 
have been changed 
to approximate incarceration. 

You keep trying to escape 
the same conditions 
that others work in. 

Knowing no one 
but a work group 
sharing mutual paranoia. 

It has become impolite 
to interrupt anyone  
even if they are silent. 

We are conditioned 
to mind our own business
profits and losses. 

We keep to ourselves
trying to find new ways
to push our own buttons. 

We can have it
only if we can give it 
to ourselves. 

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

240622C
------------ 

If we were there 
I would be sitting alone
avoiding those 
whom I do not want to know
and those who get in the way. 

I would never expect 
that you would join them 
or that the sea would part 
letting us through 
to the same side. 

All regions of the map
already being occupied
by territorial forces 
spilling themselves across 
your fragile domain. 

They are the big guns 
that shoot everything down 
making deep impressions 
that take always take you 
as their willing hostage. 

I was always guilty 
of conducting reconnaissance
into foreign places 
but we never got any further 
than exchanging parting shots. 

I could never comply 
with the rules of engagement 
escalating the conflict 
to the level of black limousines 
and hints of sparkle.  

So I never really knew
what became of you 
as to your being taken
away from all my defeat 
along the many battle lines. 

I assume you are a prisoner
with no remaining desires
as to being set free 
and I am not the one 
to whet your appetites. 

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

290622A
------------ 

Wherever we go 
there we are 
in the same dilemma 
wishing for intrusions
that never happen
and wishing away 
the many that do.

Gradual break downs 
into cherished illusions 
being something vague
referencing freedoms 
but knowing we would 
be living differently 
if only we could. 

We lie regularly 
about being happy 
grateful and tolerant 
to most everything 
wrecks all our plans 
while told none of it
is really meant for us. 

History accumulates
collected stories
about those who did
because they could
and it felt right 
to the lucky ones 
lived in past times. 

We inherit walls 
to cover with graffiti 
evocative of sky father 
claims at content 
expressing as if freedom
can't burst a bubble 
with a worn down idea. 

I stand apart 
for not wanting 
being compartmentalized 
uptight categorized 
concerning common styles
attitudes and body parts
unpleasantly shoved together.
 
A made up collection 
compiled by whomever 
judged and labelled 
various pieces bashed
into all same shaped
arrangements according 
to an enforced nausea. 

I am not that type 
and don't go there
but then again it is true
don't go anywhere anymore
not really knowing where
to go or why it would
make any difference. 

Refusing to be mounted 
someone's trophy 
case never know who
shot down in big 
white hunter games 
at urban safari kicks 
around shrunken heads.  

No point to meetings 
simply to pass time 
while in waiting at die off 
same any extinct species
lost environments 
made unable to become 
something one is not. 

Never a familiar face
and we don't talk
that way to strangers 
knowing crazy people 
now the only ones 
starting at something 
we cannot continue.  

What will we do
to satisfy ourselves 
perpetually rearranged 
bits of natures 
topped ignorance 
our ice cream chill 
brains doing melt aways. 

The approach 
does not matter anymore
among whatever else
has become indefensible 
and there are more clues
but all of them misleading
to more grievous errors. 

If I came to you 
it was only a mistake 
you were meant for 
something else 
I can't want or use 
any more than idled 
bits of conversations. 

Thought it would be nice
but that much revealed
is already the end of it 
always a sure thing 
just because it would 
actually have been
something nicer. 

Once upon a time 
should have prepared us 
for it used to be 
but not anymore 
leaves unanswered 
all those questions 
lost their meanings. 

It is too late 
to turn anything around 
by the time you get the facts
so there it goes 
one chance forever
never comes again
and was someone else's. 

Modern gods make guilty 
what ancient gods blessed
so decide how much guilt 
you might want trying 
to select a lucky god
for being nothing more
than a deranged animal. 

It is only more dirt 
you cannot clean up
or scrub away 
from a too soiled fabric
remains of reality 
as you once thought 
you might have known it. 

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

070722A
------------ 

It means nothing now
but we talk about it anyway
as if that makes it 
into something we wanted. 

The losers and the losses 
took up the time 
that we don't have anymore 
and sometimes the remembering. 

The real reasons are never
reasons that were given 
arriving at a not ever in never 
type of misery space. 

They tell us it is a game 
until we cash in our chips 
getting bumped off 
between rolling loaded bones. 

Forever a stacked deck 
made up of identities 
offered its random picks 
but all you pull is the joker. 

Only help ever found 
merely helped out 
to where we don't have any 
and know less than before. 

Fewer and fewer it goes 
the way a fever burns up
whatever was on your mind 
before the invasion. 

Don't know how it is going 
but know when it is gone 
until anything seems left
is not in any comfort zone. 

It goes that way 
assaulting imagination
to knock the ideas out 
in rapid succession. 

A champion is someone
from an alien world 
speaking a razor tongue 
cutting with each syllable. 

They voided every contract
but left you all the blame 
and the only love in it all
is mourning your own loss. 

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