Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Drought

No water falls on this forest
Where reconstruction failed
And restitution swings
From broken branch to breaking branch

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Visions

That fire
I saw rising from your eyes
Was it a lover from your memory
Abandoned out of pride?
That smoke
Curling like the mist
Was it fuel from passion tossed aside
Someone that you kissed?
That tree
Glistening in the moonlight
Is it one that you will climb again
Even as you lose your sight?

Monday, November 28, 2011

Prisoner

In effort to know the truth
He shakes the bars
Pulls at the chains
Screams the names
Of all who have done him in
The executioner however
Wears a cumulus wig
And a jacket of rain
And an ineffable name
Disappearing

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Discipline

This may hurt a bit
It is the will of the Lord
Learn your right from wrong
Learn to sing the song
It is for your own good
This welt will go away
You now know what to do
What to think and what to say
You grow up strong as a cedar
You think and walk like me
Remember this switch here
Remember docility

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Functionary Blues

This form I’m sorry to say
Is not filled out quite right
Too long looking at these
And I’m about to lose my sight
No news is good news
I’ve got the functionary blues

Please just take your place in line
And have ready your ID
The last four digits will work fine
Would you please follow me
No news is good news
I’ve got the functionary blues

The functionary blues
In the age of high technology
I’m a dinosaur in the horse race
Under the gun pointed at me

The world has gone to war again
No one is safe from the machine
Still they need someone to man it
Still they have these hands to clean
No news is good news
I’ve got the functionary blues

The functionary blues
In the age of high technology
I’m a dinosaur in the horse race
Under the gun pointed at me

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Modernity

Someone is following me on Twitter.
Someone is downloading my photo onto their iPhone.
Someone is emailing me from Ankara.
Someone is Skyping me from France.
Someone is unable to Google.
Someone prefers Macs to PCs.
Someone is tired of MySpace.
Someone looks silly on YouTube.
Someone is texting from somewhere.
Someone has just bought a Nook.
Someone is Mapquesting their way to my place.
Someone unemployed is on LinkedIn.
Someone gave up on Yahoo.
Someone created a Hub.
Someone has grown disenchanted with the Web.
Someone has registered a domain.
Someone is running in place.
Benjamin Franklin looks up from his Almanac and says, “Huh?”

Friday, November 4, 2011

Man Having Dinner

Man hunts animals and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, has a wife who prepares his meat, and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, fires a weapon, has a wife who prepares his meat, and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, sits in a chair absorbing facts, fires a weapon, has a wife who prepares his meat, and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, sits in a chair absorbing facts, sells things to other people, fires a weapon, has a wife who prepares his meat, and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, sits in a chair absorbing facts, sells things to other people, fires a weapon, has a wife who prepares his meat, watches other men and women on screens, and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, sits in a chair absorbing facts, sells things to other people, fires a weapon, has a wife who prepares his meat, watches other men and women on screens, flies to other countries, and has dinner.

Man hunts animals, sits in a chair absorbing facts, sells things to other people, fires a weapon, has a wife who prepares his meat, watches other men and women on screens, flies to other countries, has dinner, and dies.