"I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe" ~ Sir Philip Sidney

Identity passes through each crisis difference in appearance, apples and pears engineered since time immemorial nothing explains The Myth of Sisyphus to people better than the camusesque if identity creates what appears tying skeins before a memorial yes, what is positive is in the mind Status changes into the kafkaesque takes on the character of the culture as beyond our present vision, values tussle in the citadel, a vulture understands sheep outside the banlieues still taste as delicious as humankind

Listen! The narwhal bacons at midnight A majestic unicorn with two horns maybe it is a double-tusked narwhal a corpse whale with two narrow projections jester, the executioner's block scorns even King Harald does not mind the smell still, the head of a narwhal is not small tic-tac-toe, noughts and crosses, cross sections inedible as Hákarl with a shot considered considerate, the death knell understood by the Church for the dead king no one knows why the jester speaks of fish invest in the business of Feste and sing carols to King Harald, do as you wish or follow Kempe and Armin on the dot remember, remember, right at midnight nobody meets to eat bacon, to snack withholding evidence at Brandywine if Conway, Gates, and Arnold were bound tight thoughts of revolution, mere anarchy honors the dead king with a clear attack two-handed swordplay, your pearls before swine words of wisdom at the end of his rope old files on an old fart, patriarchy holds a dilemma, the...

All Creation in the Blink of an Eye for Ian and Katie and Miles As if everything were made up, I wake left to fall asleep in a dry bathtub left in case, ready to lose my cookies Creation in the blink of an eye, rake red leaves in October, wake up in bed each moment somewhere else, under a shrub as time becomes unfixed, sit in Nookies to eat breakfast before work on Sunday in the blink of an eye, I feel well fed on my plate, an empty skillet, I ate nothing but The Mediterranean in the blink of an eye, I wake up late nothing but scat at Subterranean the eye no one can see, sees all decay heaven help me, I wake up, what is real everyone appears strange, The Twilight Zone Blink twice if you know the truth in a lie lift me up and put me to bed, I steal intelligence, walk a mile in my shoes nothing but Hanging on the Telephone kindness is the hardest life for a spy organized crime in Chicago, the files fill one exabyte storage drive, the Blues answer the Blackhawks o...

If I lived this life all over again for the eternal return of the same I would write this poem on the toilet like I am doing now, I would do, then if now is then, again, and then is now versions of the same story, without blame every day, exactly the same, I bet dice rolled differently, I may not look twice this life of suffering, full of sorrow his mind was the same, just slightly different in this life, or the next, would I notice still, allegedly, I would know, I sent life a letter asking for happiness if I ask for love, a little more spice for me, too much of a good thing is fun except the pendulum swings with my mood again and again, this same life, say no life is variety, burnt by the sun life is unexpected, otherwise dull over and over, learn never to brood versions of the same tale, as I now know endlessly the same thing, nothing changes return of the same, to watch a seagull again and again, must I say, yes, yes give an affirmation, not once but twice ...

Why is six scared? Because seven ate nine. Why are things this way, what if they were otherwise, I asked my brother how he would just sigh, wishful thinking on his part, things were otherwise yes, he found me dull and dimwitted as a child, a boy with no sense is this all there is, is there not an escape hatch, go ask your mother so much like his dad, my dad, too, as I was told, question everything suck up to no one, take a beating like a man, love wears a disguise insecurities, two boys from foreign countries, it makes a difference xenophobia in the land of slavery, the former slave trade suck it up, beat boys, ripe mangoes in the jet age, the zebra crossing care for some answers, ask not my older brother, he could not care less as for the distress, as to the pink elephant, walking on eggshells rest assured, no one talked about their trust issues, their feelings, I guess everyone forgives the alcoholic at home, in meetings, hell's bells denial, a force magnetic in its...

Bodie State Historic Park, 1962 d'après Ezra Pound, l'imagiste This vision of spirit, mourners in a ghost town a wreathed hearse in rain

My three-headed dog : me, myself and I Maybe Alice is right, I try too hard yet, she did not say as much to my face three-headed hound of Hades guards the gates hrabalismus-rabelaisian bard remember your place, boy, you know-nothing every word slaps me in the face, disgrace empties the church of my family, debates heated over a pretentious poet even though Alice did not say, the sting as language enters a hall of mirrors despite the double entendre of mind each person wields a sword, errors dependent on what interpreters find diminished by my pretentions, Moët obey the Orange Order, Hennessy given your cognac, Jacobite exile maybe, the Glorious Revolution extended to The Troubles, so messy messy, messy, our ideology yes, xenophobia, a xenophile sycophant in search of absolution express your love for Jesus Christ, what lies life as contradiction, apology fully accepted by the hound of hell apology accepted, by Hades no one less, the Underworld, time to kill ...

Make sure you know what you want at all times Maybe if you read this or maybe not as mistakes are bound to happen, this life kind of fucks everyone over, so nice even if you had read this, if you got such a profound statement, simple yet wise understanding the big picture, the strife reality creates as it melts ice everyone knows about glaciers, problems you see but beyond hope, past all the lies obvious fluff, the others talk, money understood, makes the world go round, rotate knowledge, half the battle, to win or lose not many know what it feels like to win obviously, losers stop for a dime wonky knowledge, does not sit right, you choose what you want to do in this world for work how so many people choose to thin gin adulterate the good stuff, what a crime thaw out the glaciers, do not go berserk you want to get your head on straight, honey obviously tastes good in tea, debate under review, how to use all these gems want for nothing, for desire changes as glac...

Dear Gravity,      This fucking world, I hate everything flips over, turns upside-down answer me why this is my pet peeve, please really great to watch pasta on a plate Gravity pulls me down, holds me in place rapes me with brutal force, water, I drown as this minimal force, floats in the breeze versions of the story, waterboarding incessantly, I cannot die, disgrace to my family, a black sheep, nothing good yet now, I understand, much, much too late This world of poetry, full of dead wood how do I not care anymore, the date imprinted on the milk carton, hoarding shelves and boxes of books, a cluster fuck fucking clutter gets in the way, no one understands, expired, a pun played out check the scent, vintage books, expired milk if nothing tracks, without traction, the facts no one can save pasta falling, no fun given friction, good for one thing, I doubt worldliness can save our humanity on the other hand, ethics tracks our acts relatively no g...

Alone, in this world, I feel so alone Answer no questions, I tell you no lies left to my own devices, in silence objective correlative nowhere near nothing but sense, the life of the mind dies emptiness, I am so alone, brother in the world, on the train, pure violence nothing makes sense, clarity is not clear this much I see but the senses say less how aware I become as the other in this world, is there another out there solitary, alone in solitude wonders never cease, time elapses here only inside this shell, I become rude rough around the edges, as you could guess little do I get to enjoy, just work decisions make changes for the better I delude myself with ideas, with hope feelings diminish over time, I cork emotions in a container, to float endlessly buoyant, Eureka, letter lost in outer space, black ocean, I grope so lonely, in the dark, emptiness found objective correlative, in a boat all alone, everyone so far away left to my own devices, this crisis ob...

Every expendable has their limits visions of bots driving cars, flying planes everywhere invisible forced labor restaurants taken over by robots yet, unseen by people, inside machines everywhere people go, to sunny climes xenophobia unknown on paper perhaps where thought police do not exist everyone gets along with lucky charms nothing goes unseen, not even self-harm despite their abject lives being short-lived answers to the meaning of life, unborn bots ask not what is this thing called habit life is nasty, brutish, and short, unfazed everyone understands necessity however, bots have only protocols as ethics prescribes rules for behavior suddenly, bots rule in their ecstasy they cannot break the rules, they do how they are programmed, no alligators emerge from the pond, scum locked up in jail institutions arise to keep people resting in a deep-freeze hibernation lessons to learn from May to December in the cold months, the pandemonium manifests license to watc...

Never say never, as they say, they point empty-handed at the moon, the master views at once all possible perspectives empty-headed, I see his finger joint restless, tired, and overworked, no joy sucks to be me, this life, a disaster as I will never understand, what gives yet I see the beauty in misfortune never again will I be a small boy emptiness sucks me into a black hole viewpoints extended to spaghetti length empty the trash, feed the cat, what a goal remember the dream lost, gone, without strength absent from fear of drug abuse, I spoon something black in my sleep, Juju, my cat thankful for food, cares for Papa Kitty hang me in your place, end my life instead exactly what I feel, a baseball bat yet so long ago, broke my nose, clueless surface to air missiles, what a pity adventure for the young, inside my head yes, all I feel is heartbroken, no hope theater, the limelight, I must confess how I know how little you care, I slide each day, week after week, in...

Dead as a doornail inside a tin box Daddy smokes sweet tobacco from his pipe embarking on a ship through puffs of smoke at night, after eating dinner, he drinks down a low-ball on ice without a gripe answers no questions but tells us all lies smoke and mirrors, everything is a joke as a child who feels and constantly thinks distress the cause of all our behavior orbits within circles of friends, disguise outside reality from what takes place residing as abuse behind closed doors needles and pins, eggshells, life without grace absent, the happiness but for the boors incense at church blends with scents of Dior living in Huntington Beach, no one knows if I go to school, try hard, get good grades nobody notices a little boy slight and smaller than all the rest, he shows intelligence and some promise but pain diminishes his joy, his health degrades emotions out of joint, brown bear, a toy as attachment creates meaning, now lost toss out the baby with nothing to gain ...

Come together to flow into one stream orbit each other over time to face no uncertain future, the die is cast flow together, as one river, this dream left over, a lotus flower blossom under the water, the roots, full of grace emptiness as each seed opens the past noble the path of wisdom leads to truth come together to overcome the womb egotistical desire to live Once again, step into the river twice never the same, without steps to forgive common practice as to release the dice empty-handed by chance, what are words worth

They will patronize you for money, no? They, who are they, The They, just ask Martin he knows Das Man well, they greet you and smile exactly as if they were your best friend yes, they act cool, real cool but fake, pure spin widows black build their webs, red hourglass intricate, complicated, full of bile leave well alone, description in the end lessons learned, the mirror reflects the mind patronize the patrons, life without class ask Martin, the Nazi, a professor troll the web, the widow, that is the case rongwrong with Phil, The They, what is the score ontology starts with Edmund, the base nobody cares about Ludwig, unkind if I appear, I am sorry, no less zen as a guide does not make sense of this ego, as an elf on the shelf, to speak you know, about others, as to address ontological being as meaning understanding self and other, we kiss forget lost time, Marcel, observe this beak obtain capital, Mr. Gabidar real currency to spend, time spent cleaning money...

Umbrellas turn inside out in the wind maybe in Chicago where the wind blows blows, blows, cold gray stones skipping inside out remember not to fall in love, unbind empty dumpster divers in the city llamas at the Lincoln Zoo, the heart grows less fonder, closer or farther, I doubt ascertain the facts at hand, distance drives speculation, unknown, what a pity turn the cards over, hidden in plain sight umbrellas turn inside out and break down remember the city just wants to fight nothing doing, infatuated, drown in the lamp light, at night, the city thrives nobody sees the mice and rats scramble scramble, scramble, along Sheridan Road if we did not move outside the city definitely provincial, the bramble energetic squirrels in Evanston outside their attitudes, ciphers encode understanding underbelly, gritty tumble dry on low heat, the beat cops dance inside the doughnut shop, armed with a gun nothing but false authority, question the lie of our humanity, it kills ...

Is there no love in this world anymore If I told you, I believe, for a lark silence, your face turns crimson with anger theater of distress, as you could guess how I came to lose my faith in the dark enlightenment of a wraith, a specter rest like a sheet on a wooden hanger exceptions to the rule, I say, God bless nothing stands in the way, am I a fool only you did not sneeze, ask the rector leave me alone, humanity, I turn over in my small head, the clouds that pass virtue is a thing-in-itself, I burn eternal life with an idea so crass imagine a choir of boys at school not a voice heard, only farts from armpits this is not the beginning of the end history teaches us an illusion is there no love in this world, little shits sniffling, snotty, young brats, what can I do window to the world, recline to ascend only music, my dream, my delusion rest assured, I must die, if not now, then leave it to the Piedmontese , a shoe drops, we wait for the other shoe, as well ...

As it is not the shoe that makes the runner so, it is not the role that makes the man in business as in pleasure to treasure the other as sister and as brother in all affairs to make aware presence such is the meaning found in the mirror nothing but introverted language games obvious to mind monadic nomads to see how nothing moves but the senses thoughts appear in the sky as fluffy clouds how is it people cannot see these thoughts everything changes over time but space shove the stone angel face and meditate how people ignore the rules of the road only to complain bitterly, so bold everyone observes the changes, the ground that quakes and shifts, back and forth, back and forth how contrived as imagination dreams arguments valid and not invalid to recognize what is sound or unsound monsters imaginary become real asinine as a prophesy fulfilled kindness hidden in truth, yet in plain sight everywhere different yet the same, to hear signals and smell the smoke as re...

Do you remember when we were children of course, you pinned me down and tickled me yet, because this took place behind closed doors of course, so much more happened in our house understood, mom and dad were gone at work remember how you were a child back then each time, I look back, I remember this memories are funny that way, trauma enfolds just like diverticulitis maybe foreshadowing how dad would die blurry, fifty years later, the torture each time, I look back, I remember pain remember inexpressible sorrow when you have no one to turn to, family honestly, for many, an ugly word each time, I look back, more out of habit not just a need to remember the hurt we were not close and would never be close each time, proximity nearly killed me were children meant to be left all alone each time, you blew your bad breath in my face remember, mom called me an elephant each time, like when we found our Keeshond dead children are known not to be nice or kind how did I sur...

John 6:57 57  Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. --- Just because...is that not enough for you, until I met her, I chose death, my own sitting still as a monk, clouds in my mind throwaway lives, how sad, gray skies turn blue answer the question before me, this pain search the whole universe, my skin is brown the fact that I cannot see, am I blind honestly, what is the point to this life each day, I wake up with nothing to gain living so long, I feel like an old man invest in the future, is that a joke visions of suffering, the world to span insist that others must feel just how broke normal people, ever so full of strife give guidance, as if full of light, what lies Father, I met a young woman, we spoke as if we knew each other, as old friends thanks for all the angels, all in disguise however, I still cannot make much sense each day, with no money, I wake up broke really, what is th...

First thing, in the morning, I cut a line in the morning, a razor blade, Franklin religiously, a novena, nine days suffer the rosary, mirror supine taste the sweetness, Walter, my dad is dead think you know better child, a shot of Glen hollow within, embrace the creep, displays in the windows as I pass on the street now, am I awake or asleep, instead given nothing matters but delusion illusory, hit a bump in the road nothing but confusion, this illusion this imaginary throne, take a seat heated as a carseat in wintertime emissary of the devil, barn owl millions and millions in the bank, I sank on the golf course, a hole in one, my crime rests with the defense in a court of law normal, this morning routine runs afoul in the eyes of observers, still I drank needlessly, to numb my body of pain given I scuttle with my ragged claw I drink as a dictum, get drunk and high cupidity with a bottle of gin understand, dear reader, how much it pays to stay alive, healthy, and not decline asinine, m...

As on the last day... After the party, everyone drove home forget drunk driving with driverless cars terrible as the future may appear every day gets better under the dome remember, we all have some place to be the night was a success, emptied the bars hand over fist, we paid rent without fear eviction for no good reason, we slayed pushing the envelope, the money tree answered all of our prayers, shaking leaves remember, no one cares unless they know to protect in service, the record sleeves yesterday, spun with the vinyl, we grow empty, full of hunger, and still we prayed virtually day and night for others exactly when did we begin to see remember, how the light made us buoyant yes, lighter than water but who bothers obsessive-compulsive photon junkies nobody understood under the sea empty space beyond time made us truant drunk on the darkness, as on the last day remember, poison kills slowly, flunkies only grace lets us feel lighter than air vision beyond the ...

If I try to write a novel, words fail fortress of solitude, if I portray I see myself in the mirror, reflect trust in the characters, held without bail rely on the scene and setting to move yesterday into tomorrow, I pay to live with all my dreams as to deflect off the walls like a racquetball, this room witnesses observe what I have to prove rely on description, the mirror screams in a moment of reflection, so pure to dip a toe, the quicksilver of dreams enter the imaginary, endure architecture as narrative, the loom notices in the weave, the warp and weft objects to make a tapestry, image views the maker without deceit, such grief emerges in each line, sentenced, bereft literature reads beyond devices words fail my hand to reach into my rage objects of psychological belief resound against the walls, an empty space demonstrates mind, an ideal suffices suppositions as to explain the brain fellow travelers find themselves so lost architectonics of the novel, the...

Romans 6:23 (KJV) 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Identity, the Other and their Self Identity is a tricky concept definitely set on recognition every individual seeks the same not so, says the Other, to intercept tolerance, a pass, the Self, soon, fumbles if to say, I observe opposition tits on a bull, acceptance is to blame yet, I accept everything as it is the choice to judge, to exclude the shambles horrific as a battlefield, who cares each person seeks the real within themselves Otherness as alterity, who shares the ideas of ethics, rows of bookshelves humble booksellers on a show, Pop Quiz enter the country as a child, stranger remember nothing of the past, the clues act as a guide, as words in holy books nothing but the sinister as danger defense mechanisms arise, to cope the Pope and his messengers play the blues how to navigate all their dirty looks everyone identifies with the lies inso...