We leveled so many claims at you.

You didn’t have much to say.

Said you were ok.

OK. You agree?

OK. You know?

Ok. Resolved?

I’ve been waiting for this package

Only to open it, an empty box

The things that I was sure

Would get a rise did not.

And the inconsequential

Caught your ire.

Are you simple?

Are you complex?

Are you naked?

Are you caked?

You feel like a neighbor

Who will never be known

Never be seen.

You feel like a story

That can’t quite be remembered

Ever

I feel like you color beautiful pictures

Inside the lines and everything.

But you take both fists

Crumple it up

Bury it deep in your lap

A day that ends

Before I’m spent

Empty from

Slaying the pen

Is a broken glass

And I know

I’m odd

But not alone

Cause here and there

We freckle

Every town

We who must

Be writers

When it works

That’s warm

And winks and nods

Aren’t needed

Cause you hear

And I hear

It in the pocket

Let there be

An easy

Light babble

It rolls out

For glory

If only that

And it’s nice

Real nice

I’d really like

To skate the sea

Step to, go

Step to, live

And hold it all

Of others

To breathe graffiti

And be bad

On bad streets

Serve me

What is the most you

And I will

Lick my lips

And think about

Really think about

Thrilling bites

I’d rather be swept away.

Lungs gifted for doing what you do

No doubt you’ve been painted

Around the corner you’re sad, of course

When the music stops, lights go out

But maybe only I see that

Cause I’ve been privy to your ugly cry

That drops like a Florida rain

Taking us both by surprise

Your theater, though, it’s so good

It’s almost perfect

To make a dent in heaven

Be crowned and to make Him proud

Yes. Yes. Yes.

And to contribute to need

And to contribute to art

Aching souls need be quiet

Need be deaf

Need be over there away

Bricked in

No air holes

Gasping.

Drowned.

All strong swears they

To delicate to be heard

By the pill poppers

Self-soothers who

Cant know grief

Longer than a drink

God forbid

They sit a spell

To endure a low moan

From one of us

God forbid

Communal pain

Two hands

Nothing more is known about them

Throw a dark cloud

Over me

And the leading notion

Will daily be

To hell with everyone

Which is not like me

And is not from me

So look for arms and shoulders

A neck, a face

A demon force

And say, “Away”

Until mourning coughs

Sweeter frames

You bellow

Oh

So

Much

On empty

Without thought

Your autopilot responses

Poor caged tongue

Doomed to click click

Click click

Rewind play

Rewind play

It’s unjust

It’s all unjust

You see one shade

One shade of one color

On only one page

In only one book

On only one table

In only one house

You endless loop

Drone on and on

Click click

Click click

We’ve all stopped listening

Something dripped out of your soul

Slow leak – steady leak – undetected

All adds up to a great mountain stream

Flows cold – freezing to frozen solid

It left with the choices

Could return with the choices

Forward is forward is forward

Make it good – make it holy – make it right

This is not about solving anyone

It’s about the act of being

Be unto – be with – be for – have – hold

Back out of that shadow and be lit

See that command definitely

See that law differently

Slither into a more comfortable soul

Bang on the door until you are allowed

To Hear the final drop of the drip drip