To Date

Try to leave this shadow,
The movement into light,
If you think it may open horizons,
Well, you know, it just might,

May, too, expose you to all sorts of harm,
It's not safe to be seen,
It means your obscene opinion of things,
Can then be judged by all human beings,

You're not a silverback destined to rule,
To defend to the death,
When you die it will be on a soft bed,
With regret on your breath,

For what wasn't,
Also, for what there was,
Close your eyes, imagine you face it now,
That is what every fearless one does.

Public Speaking Fundamentals

The key to public speech,
Has been cast by science,
A recipe of various techniques,
On it we've reliance,

Just follow the steps and you've first built trust,
Then wowed with confidence,
Soon they will be like putty in your hand,
You'll even sway those who were on the fence,

Anyone can be taught how to do this,
Everybody should,
Then, maybe, we wouldn't always be duped,
By evil playing good,

We'd think for us,
And think of others, too,
Sure, charisma would be in short supply,
But p'haps the world won't be run by the few.

Be Safe

Let's talk about safety,
And what it means to you,
The thought that living long is important,
Sticks with all but a few,

But even Alfalfa was shot dead young,
With so much to live for,
What was he thinking in those final breaths,
That would have been wiser with ten years more?

Or is it that his encounter with death,
Shot in the groin o'er scratch,
Might have led to some change in perspective,
What plans might he have hatched?

Like living well,
The last of all regrets,
When there's nothing to risk, we play our cards,
Which is much too late to make any bets.

The Painting

After hours of painting,
Meticulous detail,
Stepping into and out of the picture,
Just your mind to avail,

It's not reality you're creating,
It's perception at best,
So, as eternal as all our minds are,
How do you judge if you need more or less?

I mean, you have to walk away sometime,
Decide you are all done,
Say, "not one more brush stroke will be needed,
To cap this expression."

Where is that line?
How to recognize.
To pinpoint where imagination ends,
is to understand the point where it dies.

Tiding

I do not mind waiting,
That's the thing about me,
Leave me sitting someplace for days on end,
I'll have made lemon tea,

Then while I drank it I'd think how lucky,
It was I had lemons,
Plus, apparently, a water kettle,
Talk about making peace from battlements,

I've never been one to just sit around,
Have I told you 'bout me?
You can step all over my heart and soul,
I'd repair them tout suite,

I'm not heartless,
Or there'd be naught to fix,
Nor is my soul stronger than the next guy's,
It's just any challenge gives me kicks.

Animals Are Beautiful People

Who is the animal,
Us humans or the beasts?
There appears to be less complication,
In the latter, at least,

Which is what all humans strive for, I think,
Some peace, simplicity,
We get complicated striving for it,
Then Stevie sings Living in the City,

Truth is, we are all cut from the same cloth,
Circumstances rule us,
Evolution is about adjusting,
Sometimes one's just callous,

Or else she dies,
No one wants to do that,
The key is acknowledging your actions,
As the best response to all the known facts.

Hold On To It

This is just amazing,
Really, what could beat it?
The last time I felt this good about things,
I was then defeated,

Staying on top is riding a fine line,
It's easy to fall down,
For you have to maintain what got you there,
Because success is a series of rounds,

To stay strong, in shape, you need to focus,
When you just want to play,
But the only thing you can act'lly enjoy,
Is how you feel today,

Still amazing,
Which could change in a beat,
Whether a meteor falls on your house,
Or she you trust turns out to be a cheat.

The Bombs

Bombs flying in the air,
It happens ev'ryday,
So much, we don't even hear about it,
Unless they choose to say,

Which they do for a specific reason,
Fill the news with one thing,
That way you can either do another,
Without the population noticing,

Or so they can control the perspective,
Guide the people's thinking,
Then before you know it they've done something,
'Fwhich you have no inkling,

For, say, money,
Or to spark a world war,
Though those are not mutu'lly exclusive,
What do you think the one was e'en made for?

The Day Before

Trying to get it right,
Like everybody else,
But my god, aren't we all just human,
Who can love just one self?

We all do our best to love everyone,
Because we want it, too,
Miscommunication of our desires,
Can put the wrong people in front of you,

Like, say you're a salesman dying to sell,
Just for the commission,
You don't believe in the product, s'of course,
You're dealing in fiction,

Then are found out,
For the fraud that you are,
When the reason you took the job at all,
Was the interiour of the new car.

The Step Back

Jeeze, I almost forgot,
'Mongst the self-absorption,
Flinging shit with the hope that it will stick,
Chip another portion,

Of the armor around Custer's last stand,
Bent to fare the same fate,
If the abuse has anything to say.
Its goal is to turn all hope into hate,

But its intentions are ill-directed,
There's no victory there,
It may succeed in wreaking its revenge,
But will leave itself bare,

Naked and chill,
Alone and left to rot,
My god the power of a once scarred heart,
Blind to the damage it also has fraught

The Invisible Enemy

This man had lived his life,
Like most understand it,
Got an education then worked for years,
Like soci'ty planned it,

But then something inside him begged for more,
He lived once more again,
Doing something different at sixty,
Like there're no rules about being human,

Everyone close to him told him stop,
That's not how things are done,
Not the most supportive community,
But lots of affection.

You're prob'ly like,
"I don't have those problems",
So if there're no obstacles in your life,
Why do you lack any motivation?

U.S. Senate Votes To Repeal Obama-Era Internet Privacy Rules

The internet was once free,
I will tell my children,
You could navigate it like a tourist,
Confident that your movements were hidden,

I think the government let it mature,
To see what it became,
Knowing it only took legislation,
To step in and change the rules of the game,

Then we were all caught in the tangled web,
No living without it,
Ev'ry one of our movements could be tracked,
That's when we were outed,

Our lives stolen,
Freedom, only in name,
Knowing we could be reined in any time,
If the system felt we need to be tamed.

Linchpin

This gift I give to you,
Made from what's in my heart,
As unique as the lines on my fingers,
Technology turned art,

Existing because it just won't stay in,
Hold on, that is not right,
It would not exist if it stayed inside,
If it is not shared, it is out of sight,

If it is out of sight, then so am I,
Hidden in the machine,
We are evolved only when we're conscious,
Otherwise, we're unseen,

Nay, not e'en there,
Alive, but not living,
Our purpose is to express who we are.
That can only be achieved by giving.

While You're Reading This

There's not much more to do,
Than what you've been doing,
Because what you've been doing's what you do,
'Less there's more ensuing,

In which case, when will that be coming out?
You have a date in mind?
Will the time be ripe at a certain age?
D'you know what it is and are you behind?

Maybe you shouldn't be reading this now,
You've got too much to do,
To catch up to the person you should be,
And finally be you,

But who is that?
Yes, another question,
Asked by me, while I'm sitting writing this,
P'haps my own block to self-realization.

Missing

There is a way I am,
What I show to the world,
No time for the thing that I am doing,
Still half mast. Yet unfurled.

There is the next thing on the horizon,
What this here had once been,
That since shown itself to be something else,
It was different than what I had seen,

Then there is what I hope I'll never lose,
As it just slips away,
Thank god we don't know what tomorrow brings,
I'd not get through the day!

But I'm still here,
Hope doth spring eternal,
That's what I say in the face of the guilt,
Born of the thought I've made life personal.

Cisco

There is someone out there,
Who knows everything,
Who's given the responsibility,
Of the monitoring,

Of knowing who is watching who and when,
Where that info's going,
What is being done with it and by whom,
Making sure it's their own lawns they're mowing,

Knowing who else is out there pushing in,
To steal identities,
Whoever it is will throw arms in th'air,
With great humility,

It is too late,
'Less you're e'er off the grid,
Or who you're isn't married to the cloud,
There is no control that can be undid.

Holding It In

Trying to keep it in,
Ain't all that difficult,
Your body has a natural spigot,
Controlled by shame and guilt,

Reluctant to display what is common,
Ne'er mind the stinky mess,
The looks of disdain and disparagement,
As if there's something wrong with humaness,

Because we are all, already, removed,
Due to technology,
A new world with new possibilities,
Unthink'ble formerly,

Yet, here we are,
Dealing with all this shit,
There is no valve that is yet invented,
It's our nature to make 'fore planning it.

Dangerous times

 Driving while you were writing,
 Who knew could be done?
First you would need a car,then voice to text,
 Oh,  and a concussion,

Or some other kind of head injury,
'Cause  you're on the highway,
e'en  10 years ago it couldn't be done, you,
Without your friend writing down what you say,

But I don't have any to help me now,
That well's almost run dry,
Now at 130 clicks per hour,
This bed is where I live,

The one I made,
From scratch, with my own hands,
Perhaps it will lead me to find my dreams,
Still more innovation in this new.

The Old Box

Things that were so precious,
Kept in boxes for years,
With words so earnest, forthright, and naive,
Paper crinkled from tears,

Hardly able to recall how it was,
Or was it really you?
But if it wasn't then who are you now,
And will you someday be somebody new?

So you put it all back into the box,
Burn it in the fire,
If you can't replicate who you had been,
Then you are on that pyre,

Ash on your heart,
Spread there more than one time,
You keep on changing, yet you never do,
'Cause you keep feeding yourself the same line.

The Wariers

Who is the artist, here,
Grabbing shoulders with glee,
Reflecting on all that's already done,
By contemporaries,

In a language I've always understood,
Wond'ring, is that enough?
Have they found each other through the labyrinth,
Or are they woven together by love,

Part of a fabric that need not be cut,
To make your way through it,
Rather, there is room to attach yourself,
S'hot you melt like suet?

You become one,
The more the merrier,
May all living in the world be artists,
Then may there no longer be wariers.

The Implications Of The Uncertainty Of Life

Have you ever been safe?
Among those on the street,
Eyeing you for what you have, who you are,
That might make them complete,

In malls, coffee shops, and public buildings,
Open to bombs and trucks,
Sitting down in front of your computer,
No one is watching you, with any luck,

As a child, at the mercy of your dad,
Some people have no hope,
The flutter of your heart from plaque, not love,
Tragedy you can't cope,

All of these things,
Only you know what more,
One minute you're here and the next you're gone,
Never mind not knowing what it's all for.

Moot

For real, it is no joke,
Feel like screaming out loud,
If it didn't make me look like a dick,
Given all life's allowed,

Relative safety of country and skin,
Let's not forget my sex,
Relative wealth, though like most I'm in debt,
Relatives who will support what comes next,

For now, I have got all my limbs working,
Not bad looking, to boot,
No major illnesses I'm aware of,
Just sent a tweet to Moot,

But tomorrow,
I'm afraid what it brings,
Like every other dick in the world,
Who cannot just count his fucking blessings.

Happy Where You Are

'Less you're moving forward,
You are going no place,
'Course, if you are happy with where that is,
Then turn away your face,

Why would you be reading this anyway?
'Cept, that this gives you joy!
Now my mind is blown, is it possible,
Poetry's not just for the sad and coy,

That a life well-lived can self-reflect, too,
Step out its reverie?
Or is it more that the mind can't avoid,
One's own lack of money?

And there it is,
Though some say it's needed,
I wouldn't miss that dirty currency,
That leaves all forms of freedom impeded.

Happy Belated

Oh god, the irony,
When will things go my way?
I write one of these near ev'ry morning,
But miss World Po'try day,

Don't e'en know what it was I would've wrote,
Life's been such a bollocks,
A car teetering on its two side wheels,
'Twixt a wide avenue and jagged rocks,

Towards a horizon of untold wealth,
'Bout the size of thin air,
Likely to bring me no greater comfort,
E'en if I make it there,

You're who you are,
Even if you should change,
That's only adaption to surroundings,
To cope with shit the best you can arrange.

Penning It

If you do one thing right,
In a consistent way,
Love it, care for it and make it your dreams,
For as long as you play,

Plunge yourself in it like it's all there is,
Compartmentalize,
Then, when you must leave it for other things,
There will be a diff'rent sheen to your eyes,

Everything else will appear brighter,
Isn't that all our goal?
That then leads to a transference of light,
That resides in the soul,

Then the mundane,
That which you don't care for,
Becomes the best version of what it is,
Until there's no room for fear, anymore.

Advice

There is a pattern, here,
Don't matter how it came,
It can remain a mystery of life,
As long as it's not named,

For then we are dealing with other things,
Like where did it come from,
Much different from how can it teach us,
How to determine the right direction,

Like the two tattoos on that cashier's arms,
Love the life that you live,
Then, live the life that you love on th'other,
That's good advice to give.

Don't get me wrong,
Very hard to follow,
A constant effort forever challenged,
Makes it hard not to give up and wallow.

Underground

Smell's a little different,
Musty cold, underground,
Still it is far more decent of a sight,
Than nothing at all found,

The bitterness of true frigidity,
Without no protection,
You're passed by as if you do not exist,
Actu'lly a fair determination,

It's better that this six feet underground,
Hasn't been filled with dirt,
There is so much that I have yet to do,
Death cannot even flirt,

It's stay or go,
There is no in between,
Not that things couldn't go on anyway,
Or that once gone you would miss anything.

Always

You're who you want to be,
E'en if you don't act so,
E'en if you're far from the best you can be,
With no hint that you'll go,

The leaves of the trees may fall to the ground,
You shouldn't be surprised,
No one will pick them, put them away,
Nor sweep away winter's coldness and ice,

Hate will not leave the world this next decade,
Hope good always prevails,
There are two people in everyone,
May the bad one e'er fail,

Like you and I,
Ev'ryone of our ilk,
Success does not always mean succeeding,
Tears need not always come after spilled milk.

The Haze

In the final minutes,
Before all light is gone,
The chill spreading slowly throughout your bones,
You're ready for so long,

Death is upon you, you're body is weak,
Systems not working right,
You want to lie down 'til this life passes,
But you fail to even with all your might,

Words escape you, there is nothing to say,
Except, please, please help me,
Rather you starve in your spot on your bed,
Than strive for victory,

Better you die,
Let nature take its course,
The world was not meant for the likes of you,
Your existence will fill it with remorse.

Before Midnight

I am a little late,
But, better than never,
There are not enough hours in the day,
T'avoid good things severed,

Sitting in a room, told you've been abused,
Where would you like to go?
No one is feeling AAanything better,
Because that's not the room's ultimate goal,

It's all about being what you should be,
Given what you're good at,
If you cannot find a matching career,
The system will give that,

I'm not lying,
It's already been said,
There are forces in place to keep us down,
We must make sure they are lifted, instead.

Forget It

Times you can't remember,
The most important things,
Forged in the fires of your intimate self,
All while you were sleeping,

They're embedded in the cells of your brain,
As a snapshot in time,
Though they may ne'er be in that state again,
Like the pattern of a splatter of rain,

But the impression e'er will be there,
E'en the shift of a cell,
Guiding your thoughts like water in a groove,
Or like bone by muscle,

Never the same,
Until the next dreams come,
Still, they will not erase what came before,
They can only build on their impression.

ASMRing

There is a term for it,
That tingly spine rapture,
Back-of-the-head adrenaline flushing,
It is ASMR,

There's no end to the triggers existing,
But you must let them in,
Soft, sibilant sounds shushing in your ear,
Why'd you search for more than this elation?

It's there for a reason, like your stomach,
It has just starved to death,
But what you killed can come to life again,
It will e'er have soul left,

It's what makes you,
Connects you to the source,
Let the euphoria wash away gloom,
All the good things for you will run their course.

Health Care

Don't know much about it,
I mean, I have healthcare,
The notion of being sick without help,
Is more than I could bear,

I wouldn't want to rely on my mom,
Anointing me with oil,
Praying to god to heal my little boy,
Because my country just isn't loyal

To origin of itself, at all,
That individuals,
Can become stronger by living as one,
Without erecting walls,

By supporting,
Make the weak as the strong,
The strong sharing strength for the better good,
Other systems should be considered wrong.

Surprise!

It's all about surprise,
That is what you live for,
Everything else is just getting by,
Striving for something more,

But the moment you can't believe it's true,
No matter what it is,
Time stops, magic happens, and the smile comes,
Your heart swells and becomes voluptuous,

Nothing exists that had just saddened you,
It's all a memory,
Until the surprise slowly fades away,
Back to the old story,

Of pain and hate,
Disappointment and fear,
Seeking the coming of the next surprise,
Wishing to god that you just weren't here.

s

Fleeting

A day's just a minute,
A minute's outside time,
In fifty years you'll look back on your life,
What do you think you'll find?

Will you have foreseen ev'ry obstacle,
Chosen the correct path,
Left all the people that cared about you,
Believing you did the best one could ask,

Made the world better than you first found it,
Even a smidgen's worth,
Figured out just what it was all about,
Other than death and birth?

Or anything?
Hello, what's it all for?
Don't spend too much time figuring it out,
Or there won't be any left to do more.

Toe Dreams

My big toes are like Fred's,
Like Flintsone from Bedrock,
They give my steps confidence and balance,
Performing in a sock,

I could stare at their perfect form for hours,
In fact, I've done just that,
God, if I was only more flexible,
I'd perform the most inappropr'ate act,

But alas, so close yet so far away,
Like all things one desires,
Like if I were to have my way with them,
They'd never quench my fire,

Best they stay there,
As cravings, nothing more,
We all need that thing that's just out of reach,
To appreciate all that's just next door.

Hair Up

Don't matter when you're glad,
The sun is always out,
Deep down in a cave, damp, filled with shit smells,
Living on sauerkraut,

No friends to tell you're in the right place,
That luck's around the bend,
You don't need it when joy is your fallback,
Circumstances mean nothing in the end,

Light can still fill you and pour out your soul,
I'm feeling it right now,
The right place can be anywhere you are,
If you are so endowed,

And you can be,
It's naught to do with how,
You're alive, which is more than most can say,
They're still mired in what they think the earth vowed.

Tearing Away

Sometimes you can be sad,
A haze hugging your form,
Painting your world like a distant landscape,
Viewed from a raging storm,

No point reaching through until the smoke's cleared,
It's not you, anyway,
Best to crouch down, hug your head, shut your eyes,
Hope tomorrow brings you a better day,

That there is warmth to burn away the mist,
Like a damn miracle,
Light shining on an horizon of hope,
Wish for an oracle,

E'en a fairy,
Only magic will save,
But when it does, my god, what a feeling,
Walking towards the sun from Plato's cave.

Very Superstitious

I just looked at the clock,
The time's one, one, one, one,
Mom e'er said matching numbers are good luck,
A small superstition,

But one that has stuck with me all these years,
Not that I believe it,
It's not that I don't believe it, either,
It's just that since she's died, I can't leave it,

It reminds me of her when I see it,
And that makes me happy,
If that joy leads me to do something good,
Then that's good luck for me,

It's like roses,
When you stop to smell them,
If a little thing helps you find yourself,
You should let it, 'cause that happens seldom.

Gotta Go

I really have to pee,
He thought as he stood there,
Nothing keeping him from going away,
Except he wouldn't dare,

The stakes are too high to succumb to that,
That which he can control,
It may damage his bladder ever more,
But worse, a seven might be his next roll,

Really, what damage could he succumb to,
That money wouldn't fix?
As he tries not to shake his fist too hard,
Lest he unplug his dick,

But even then,
What's a small accident?
People will forgive the most heinous acts,
If there's possibly some money in it.

RIP Winston

When I first met Winston,
Wow, eighteen years ago,
At the film festival, me a driver,
Just new to Toronto,

I'd pop into the office on Carlton,
Stop by to say hello,
He'd stand from his desk of fifty folders,
Then we'd go to the garage for a smoke,

We would talk steady in that ten minutes,
Life, dreams and anecdotes,
The cigarette was only a pretense,
The head rush hit my soul,

I never quit,
Even if months had flown,
We would meet for a beer at some Firkin,
Getting high on the discussion, alone.

The Light Outside

There're moving lights all 'round,
Life happening outdoors,
More change in the short time we've been on earth,
Than millennia 'fore,

A reflection of nature at its worst?
That's really hard to say,
What is nature? What is bad? Who's to judge?
Would it have acted any other way?

Would it have had more respect for itself?
Like leave its trees alone,
Not kill anything or eradicate,
An entire nation's home?

What about you?
Tell me which you reflect?
The hubris, envy and lust of humans,
Or the indifference of our architect?

To The Depths

The road's sucked up the rain,
Even though it's asphalt,
Commuters look at me emotionless,
As if it was my fault.

The water's seeking the easiest route,
Just like the rest of us,
Drawn natur'lly to the core of the earth,
Our desire to reach great heights spurious,

We're only seeking release from this earth,
T'arrive at a new low,
The rain has tried that a million times,
To be sucked back below,

What's wrong with that,
To return to one's core?
It's the simplest form of all that there is,
Yet, each and ev'ry one of us wants more.

Another Brick in the Wall

"You've become too dirty,"
I admonished the brick,
It said nothing as it sat midst his friends,
Who flipped birds and held dicks,

He curled up his lips and raised his eyebrows,
Apologetic'lly,
I was in a rush and had to settle,
For staring back at it menacingly,

But from then on, everywhere I looked,
Walls would stand in my way,
Oh the jeers and their immobility,
No matter what I'd say,

Like I'm sorry,
Who am I to be judge?
Until now I was living un observed,
But I just had to point out that brick's smudge.

Time Is Money

It's all about money,
It is everything,
If we didn't need it or had enough,
We would all start living,

We would get up with the sun in our head,
That shines on our desires,
People would come to our lives and they'd go,
Not tied by the system of fiscal wires,

Betrayal would be so much, much simpler,
Hearts unsullied by debt,
We would all be able to see clearly,
We haven't found love, yet,

Then we'd move on,
Loneliness would be fine,
For we'd do the things that we wanted to,
Because it's money that made itself time.

Oh, O.J.

He really had it made,
Charisma out the butt,
A natural athlete across the board,
Good looking and well-cut,

He constantly said he was just O.J.,
He was not black or white,
The movements, the riots, he snubbed them all,
Yet his success was a boost for black rights.

Then his wife and a waiter were slaughtered,
The blood led straight to he,
He then said he was framed for being black,
Then was freed for Rodney.

But he forgot,
Many thought him guilty,
He lost sight midst a new crowd of yes men,
Got thirty years for a crime of conceit.

The White House's Fascist Face

How else can one explain,
Another White House move
Presented as guiltless, but following,
Trump's rumbling of fake news,

The exclusion of certain agencies,
From Spicer's press gaggle,
Which changed from what was to be a briefing,
But as an autocrat's finger-waggle?

Even Fox News joined in the obloquy,
This must be serious,
To achieve complete power, you must repress,
The freedom of the press.

This is no joke,
E'en I'm afraid to write,
This Wath of Investigative Po'try.
What an innocuous act to wrest fright!

That Noise

Can't get that fucking buzzing,
Out of the sound's background,
Sometimes I wonder if its main target,
Is to dirty my sound,

So no one can focus on the message,
There's something just not right,
How can such a meaningless distraction,
Mean the barrier to any real height?

Unless there's a process to work with it,
Herald it, brandish it,
Surrender the message and I might find,
The true message in it.

What could it be?
For me to stay in place?
The next time I see that little buzzer,
I will stand up and ask it to its face.

The Smile Commute

Sitting on the subway,
Seeing all the faces,
Ev'ryone of them completely neutral,
Staring out into spaces,

It's hard to believe one of them smiling,
They think the same of me,
These morning automaton commuters,
Will be turned on at th'end of their journey,

Seems to me it might take less energy,
Once offset by the joy,
To smile and let others' happiness,
Be remotely employed,

That is, sucked up,
Processed and recycled,
What kind of world would then nat'r'ly arise?
If you can't imagine, I bet I could.

My god

Is there really much left?
Should you stay much longer?
Would it make a diff'rence if I promised,
You don't have to wrong her,

That the steps to where you want to end up,
Could take another route,
Longer, harder, with less time at the end,
Less soil and blood and sweat left on your boot,

Less cold, less tears, far lesser solitude,
In which to do your work,
No uncertainty or dangerousness,
No deep laid thoughts to jerk?

Nothing at all,
Or maybe, ev'rything.
My god, in your own sad, darkest moments,
Do you have power over your thinking?

Stand By

If you have woken up,
By sunlight or alarm,
Not quite aware of where you are as yet,
Afraid to not be warm,

Reminding yourself of the place you're in,
Admonishing again,
A daily ritual of self-control,
To protect the position you are in,

It's not your dream, but it's not your nightmare,
Why risk one for th'other?
It takes a special person to chase dreams,
Most of us don't bother,

And are alright,
Like all beasts of the Earth,
We are not special, homo sapiens,
Let those who believe they are do their worst.

Trollump

Trump is now president,
Many are asking how,
Poor, white, disenfranchised voted for him,
Because they need change, now.

But there are not enough to tip the scales,
E'en with th'usual right,
Or the elderly or police state fans,
Or the supremely white,

As Dale Beran writes, there's another group,
Holed up in mom's basement,
Whose first rule is to be anonymous,
Then make trolly comments,

Talking 4chan,
Who may have put Trump in,
As a joke played on the United States,
The pastime of hacking Americans.

The Break

You do not need a break,
You only need you to,
Do things the way you do naturally,
So no one can refute,

That you are what you've been eternally,
That is what people want,
The surety of knowing anything,
Is e'en if they wanted to change they can't,

That translates to the most elusive trait,
Which is changing a lot,
The comfort that where action's coming from,
Is naught to do with thought,

But, instead, life,
You see, that's why we're here,
Thrust into this unknown reality,
As if purpose is obviously clear.

My Keys

The keys used to be there,
That bowl on the counter,
It was the first place I thought would be best,
No rest for the hunter,

There were so many thoughts that haunted me,
About needing the dish,
The room it took on the food area,
Like cross-contamination from the fish,

I moved them to a plastic container,
On my writing desk, now,
But with the loss of the daily routine,
My mind is in a row,

Things have since changed,
They are not always there,
I sometimes leave them in my coat pocket,
Change rules once and they disappear in th'air.

Intro

First there's the explosion,
Aft' the music builds up,
The destruction of one's very own name,
How's that for a wassup?

An existence outside of reality,
Is there e'en such a thing?
If there ain't, then there's a whole bunch of time,
That is being murdered by the living,

Just to play and share learning with others,
Is that really so bad,
To leave this world of deceit and hatred,
According to your dad?

Did he say that?
No, I don't think he did,
Of course, it was hard to understand him,
Through his sobs for the dearly departed.

Tear

You can't outgrow yourself,
You are just what you are,
I wouldn't waste your time running away,
You just won't get that far,

In case you're wondering, nothing has changed,
You don't live long enough,
Sure, there's no time within eternity,
But it takes time to collect all that stuff,

Which exists 'bout as long as you would think,
As long as a real thought,
That swirls around like it was meant to be,
Then find out it was not,

It was like time,
So heartbreakingly long,
Sometimes you think you can take anything,
Until life's cruelty just proves you wrong.

The Ring

A ring hugs the skin tight,
No give in the metal,
The flesh bulges up around its edges,
In time it will settle,

The fingers on either side avoid it,
However subtly,
It is a force foreign to their purpose,
A reminder of what they're meant to be,

Blood once struggled to push past its pressure,
Until it found a way,
What nature hath made, let humans obstruct,
It will push back, one day,

With force majeure,
The ring to our fingers,
That prod things they don't know just, well, because,
The impressions of which ever linger.

Where The Poor Fight

In the Spanish mountains,
The Leftists hid in caves,
Many had seen their families slaughtered,
Midst the Nationalist wave,

There were not many and few were soldiers,
Many were not Spanish,
Coming from Europe and America,
Drawn into the war to fight Fascists,

What they found on both sides were, of course, poor,
They are e'er those who die,
Prodded by those with power wanting more,
Directing from on high,

Then there is us,
Observing from afar,
Not Spain, the fighting no longer rages,
One need not look hard to find other wars.

Wash Away

Let it all wash away,
Oh god, like summer rain,
Sucked in the earth or evaporated,
Just don't return again,

Take with you all the bad, awful mistakes,
That weigh me down like bricks,
Better a box with no holes for a home,
Than one more feeling of shit I can't fix,

Strip me of clothing, if it means no shame,
May as well take the skin,
Let the blood flow away and crush the bones,
So I can re-begin,

Not say a word,
Assemble my body,
Truly know how it works ere using it,
So poor driving don't make it seem shoddy.

Water Falls

The book was chewed apart,
Like Humpty on the floor,
With time, the words could be pieced together,
Sure, but whatever for?

They stopped existing once pen left paper,
Moments spilled, then gone,
At best, just put the dog in the garage,
Hopefully, it will have learned its lesson,

As will you, never will thoughts lay about,
Or not photocopied,
While you are distracted by life's pleasures.
'Who'll be dog-jacked? Not we!'

At least, not me,
Life is much too precious,
The bull's horns are not that far from your heart,
Never will that happen again, she says.

The Ending

You can lose everything,
That's done by losing you,
It can happen driving your Ferrari,
Painted that flat black hue,

Bought to dally along the seaside road,
Off the Amalfi Coast,
To the villa that you keep for yourself,
Though it's not the one that you adore most,

When you look to your right past your blonde guest,
In the passenger seat,
'Who is this person steering with my hands?
And will we ever meet?'

Just one turn right,
Drive off the ocean cliff,
To prove the real you cannot drive at all,
Nor care you how opulently you live.

:(

It ended too quickly,
Like he had had enough,
There's only so much gold that you can mine,
Before the job's too tough,

Before you start to wonder what it's for,
It is all frivolous,
When you're starving, life is immediate,
That was a quality denied to us,

You need not suffer to know suffering,
In fact, best that you don't,
Better it is spared to everyone,
That is all that he wrote,

There's nothing else,
It's frivolous, I say!
Just lie on the couch and binge watch something,
Or you will be sure to get in the way.

The Dead Line

There're so many windows,
But not one face inside,
My mom said she'd be looking out for me,
Then, I guess, my mom lied,

The door's too far to lean o'er and open,
I'm afraid, anyway,
There are not words enough to fit in here,
To capture the loneliness here, today,

The chair will not move with my weight on it,
Nor will my hands help me,
The hunch of my back has disabled them,
Feels an eternity,

But it is not,
Don't have that luxury,
All these things must eventually work,
There is too much responsibility.

Nixed

Put things in perspective,
The only one you know,
The one sculpted by those who raised you up,
Or ground you under toe,

That was tweaked the first time you kissed a girl,
And your mind went kaboom,
When you defied the rules of your parents,
Then couldn't escape their clutches too soon,

The years of roaming devoid of morals,
Until you looked around,
Witnessed the global inequality,
Just begging to be found,

When 'twas too late,
Your mind's already fixed,
Your progeny will have to save the world,
If that possibility isn't nixed.

That Story

Start with an idea,
Then let it ruminate,
Sleep on it, beat on it, show it the door,
Let it back in and wait,

Sit across from it, but don't talk to it,
It has to explain first,
How it came to be, what it will become,
How its resolution will quench a thirst,

If you feel you've discovered something new,
A start, middle and end,
A truth's been revealed that can't be denied,
Nor can you abandon,

What it's become,
It was waiting for you,
Now you must guide it out into the world,
Don't you want to see what it grows up to?

How To Make Sausage

Get at least half a pig,
Chop it up into chunks,
You can put aside the liver or not,
Then treat the rest as junk,

Add eighteen grams salt per kilo of meat,
Lots of pepper to cure,
Toss it about then grind it into bowls,
Fold it with a spoon to make the mix pure,

Flush the pig intestines with warm water,
'Ere sliding on the spout,
Keep the casing firm and coil the sausage,
As the meat flows out,

Then you hang it,
Someplace dark, cool and dry,
In a few weeks they are ready to eat,
That swine accomplished more dead than alive.

To Be Serious

You must be serious,
To be taken as such,
Which requires you've a lot of discipline,
Sophisticated touch,

A keen eye for the tears in the fabric,
Of what we all accept,
As the way things are 'cause that's how things are,
As if the right way's only where we've stepped,

You must know yourself, because if you don't,
You won't know anything,
You cannot label the things around you,
When the world is spinning,

But most of all,
To be taken as such,
Your grip's to be so tight on what is right,
That no one can ever loosen your clutch.

And So It Ends

Time flies when there is fun,
That's because you feel it,
There is duration to the setting sun,
Only when you wield it,

Otherwise, it may as well not happen,
Like ground water flowing,
It hasn't happened if it is unseen,
That's why we created the all-knowing,

It was too much for us to take the truth,
A god would take our shame,
Look where that invention led the world to,
What if it never came,

We dealt with life,
Took for real what we saw,
The hungry would be hungry 'cause they are,
Would we then behave per compassion's law?

The Cold Will Beat Me Down

The cold is absolute,
My heart's the same's my skin,
To the point that I am not cold at all,
Like this pain is common,

Like the acceptance of the status quo,
No matter how severe,
Like there is no power outside of god,
That can make the sun shine and the sky clear,

Like the fear of acting in the wrong way,
Lest the police beat you,
If but there was a jacket thick enough,
To cushion what they do,

But oh the cold,
I'll just have to adapt,
Any more would be uncomfortable,
I was just not raised up to be like that.

When Is It Time?

When's the time for protest?
When injustice is done,
And if the screams and chants fall on deaf ears?
Well, then revolution,

But that can't happen without a leader,
So where will you get one?
It must be someone with nothing to lose,
And no fear of the state's retribution,

Who cares for nothing but injustices,
Affecting anyone,
No matter race, sex, faith or politics,
Else, that is fascism,

Which is the crunch,
It e'er has been and will,
Feeding a group's desire for more money,
After being trounced, repressed, loathed and killed.

In The Now

What's the use in trying,
When it all comes for free?
No trying other than to wish it so,
Then forgetting your dreams,

For if you try to grasp for what you want,
The very act, itself,
Puts you in a state of perpetu'l want,
So you're not ready to receive your wealth,

It just floats by like it was never there,
Because you were not, too,
How can you be somewhere looking ahead,
To what's coming to you?

You just cannot,
You must live in the now,
If you want to talk to the universe,
And have the universe show you how.

That Groove

Once you get a good groove,
Stop thinking about it,
You'll ne'er know how you managed to get there,
Nor do you want out'it,

Just keep yourself moving inside that loop,
Then give yourself a pat,
There isn't anyone in the whole world,
Who could have made a beat as dope as that,

Most people won't be able to get it,
It's the same all around,
E'en those who make a living from that shit,
Have those who hate the sound,

Then there are those,
Who will not even roar,
Sit quietly in the cage they were born,
Until they lie dying wishing for more.

Morning Vision

There's a rhythm you get,
Like the rumbling of trains,
The back and forth of intimate moments,
Springtime down-pouring rains,

A thirsty dog's tongue lapping up water,
The silence of the night,
My heart, with its irregular murmur,
The sinking of the moon to let in light,

The pulsing of love when it is certain,
Hate, but you don't want that,
Its is a rhythm that blocks out all else,
So may as well be flat,

What it's you want,
Is perfect harmony,
When every sound is an instrument,
Played in the soundtrack of your life's movie.

What Was That?

With all that's going on,
It is hard to focus,
It's only when the noise is cleared away,
I see the world's for us,

The moments are so far and few between,
It is like existence,
Is only a jumble of distractions,
Woven into a fabric, thick and dense,

But you must massage your hands against it,
Float to every corner,
Be sensitive to the nicks and moth holes,
A space fabric roamer,

What does that mean?
I cannot concentrate,
Maybe I'll know after clearing my head,
Or through the fabric, I may see my fate.

That Little Life

Rumbling sound beside me,
Little teeth, tiny tongue,
Taking a break to drink before the wheel,
Calls to his fiery lungs,

He's drunk so much he must be twice the weight,
Fear pangs me that he's ill,
The body is such a delicate thing,
I wake up surprised that I'm alive, still.

But there will be long stretches that he'll rest,
That doesn't calm my mind,
He's just a hamster, yes, but oh my God,
His soul's as big as mine,

It has to be,
I must believe that or,
That cursed sound is so grating on my nerves,
I would throw the damn thing against the wall!

Out

Clear your mind and wonder,
What things would have been like,
Without your existence on this planet,
With the subsequent mights,

Might this world have run a little better,
With someone with more pow'r,
With fortitude to face what must be done,
At the time of your loved one's direst hour,

Might you never have missed living at all,
It's such a minor thing,
First you are there and then, blip, you are not,
Yet, it seems so crushing,

Well, yes it is,
Feelings are not time bound,
They can stretch moments to infinity,
No way of escaping it will be found.

My Feets

My feet are far away,
They've always been to me,
It's got something to do with how I'm made,
I've just got to be free,

Still, they have stuck with me through thick and thin,
No matter what I do,
Not sure if that says more 'bout them or me,
Or p'haps the influence of my new shoes,

Anyway, the arrangement works for me,
I think they're happy, too,
Whether it's they or me that take the lead,
We e'er end up with you.

You're like all roads,
You lead us both to roam,
To a place where the sun will always shine,
Where you are e'er walking from and to home.

Misunderstandings

The problem with speaking,
It assumes fathoming,
When half of us don't know what we're saying,
The issue's compounding,

When the rest just really don't give a fuck,
Words become dangerous,
For despite the fact that they're meaningless,
They're like a person's soul's book's page for us,

Worse than when there is misunderstanding,
There's mutual capiche,
People embark on barbaric crusades,
What havoc they unleash.

It's not all bad,
I'll have to give you that,
Though the beauty of peace is often smashed,
When those who don't get it overreact.

Second Chance

Everything has been lost,
That I had wrote before,
Still, somehow, though the words are different,
They'll have the same core,

For you can only express what you are,
Even when you pretend,
To express the thoughts of somebody else,
How you do it is just you, in the end,

The more removed you are from you's a lie,
Makes what you say less real,
That's why honesty's what separates greats,
From those with less appeal.

No matter what,
For that we all must strive,
So, forget all I've said before this day,
If what was written did not seem alive.

Women's March on Washington: Toronto

White's End of Protest,
Says marches just don't work,
A new kind of resistance must be found,
To the tyrant that lurks,

There's value in thinking outside the box,
That's where true vision's found,
Micah says activism can't rely,
On public demonstrations in downtown,

We must move to the fringes of cities,
Slowly work our way in,
'Fore the powers that be know what hit them,
We've got revolution!

I hear his words,
Let's also not dismiss,
The unifying power of the scene,
Of thousands marching against unfairness.

Your Bliss

There's a sweet spot in life,
Everyone gets a glimpse,
All the powers that be work for you,
P'haps not seen, or not since,

Most of the time, it is just a feeling,
You know it is out there,
You could spend a life trying to reach it,
Or just be in it, breathing it like air,

It could be among others, or alone,
Outside or inside you,
Its form is formed by the form that you are,
The form which you strive to.

That we all do,
I hope that you find yours,
Countries have been formed this goal in mind,
So sought after, it often leads to wars.

The Frustration

What's the use in trying,
When it's out of your hands?
I swear sometimes it's like another world,
Where all of this shit lands.

It's nothing to do with what's in a mind,
But what that mind conspires,
Then what it puts into reality,
Then whether they can find any buyers.

After that, its arena's obvious,
No need to fuck around,
Stick to what you know and let the rest lie,
You are on your own, now.

You always were,
Remember that thing birth?
You started life alone and in the dark,
Now you're avoiding that for all it's worth.

To The Rich

The problem with the rich,
Is how they treat their wealth,
Instead of a comfort against hunger,
They devour to poor health,

Instead of keeping dry under a roof,
Sufficient for the task,
Gargantuan homes beyond any need,
Cast shadows o'er those who daren't e'en ask,

They drive past rusted heaps stopped by police,
For crimes of poverty,
When a slice of their cash would give them life,
Free from all injury,

Ain't that the goal?
A chance for everyone?
All luxury does is keep us apart,
And encourage unfair distribution.

The Man

The music was so loud,
His fucks couldn't be heard,
Or his cunts, shits, mother-fuckers, and clits,
Or wisest of his words,

He strolled from that garage to the basement,
A two-four in each hand,
Manifested from the check he just got,
He is a simple, and yet complex man,

He swigs a beer and then swings a hammer,
Both will be pounded down,
He gets up and the day better watch out,
Darrel's coming to town.

You can't stop him,
You think he'd stop himself,
Some people defy what the man says do,
And builds a pedestal, no fucking shelf.

Reach Her

The good offset the bad,
Though't it's outside the law,
The government did what it always does,
Made it like no one saw,

All the sychophants got their promotions,
Acts being status quo,
But he who tipped the scales will never rise,
There was really nowhere else he could go,

But unlike most who simply disappear,
Some people are too big,
They operate so far outside the norm,
They've ne'er taken a swig,

Of the Kool-Aid,
It'll ne'er make them rich,
They won't even be marked by history,
'Cause they don't live for those by whom it's writ.

To Be You

Don't matter what you do,

There're be consequences,
Maybe good or bad or probably both,
Both side of the fences,

The side you're on may not be where you stood,
Nor may't be where you end,
The question's do you know how you got there?
Do you know your final destination?

That's the only way to stand the salvo,
No matter what you do,
Better people have succumbed to the fire,
More sure of things than you,

So let me help,
I think I know the key,
It has to do with knowing who you are,
And being you with no apologies.

A Way To Live

One must e'er have patience,
To live outside oneself,
The chance to observe what others might do,
While you maintain your stealth,

There then arises opportunities,
Too many to take in,
Don't try to paint the world in your image,
'Stead, traverse the paths others others are raking,

Then you can keep your eyes peeled for a chance,
Of spying something new,
A thing through the trees of great awesomeness,
Made 'specially for you.

Thanks to patience,
And that yourself you know,
Now you can blaze a trail no one foresaw,
That they will follow with their rakes in tow.

Each Day

Each day is a new day,
Still, informed by the last,
One day closer to the one coming up,
Jam-packed with daily tasks,

Each day promises opportunities,
Informed by yesterday,
Possibly conflicting with tomorrow,
Or commitments you can't just sweep away,

Each day is the first day of a new life,
Discarding all before,
Severing bonds and rejecting the past,
An awful, inner war.

Each day must come,
Can pass as nothing new,
Nor pose a threat to what you've built before,
If you actually don't want it to.

Keep Your Eyes Open

I saw four ones, today,
At two different times,
So I noticed my thoughts just preceding,
Like dear old mom of mine.

There is a world, if you are open to't,
(And why wouldn't you be?),
That is speaking to you all of the time,
Judging your thinking and activities,

The best kind of score is multiple ones,
Though, I cannot be sure,
If my internal clock e'er knows the time,
And lo, my thought's deemed pure!

There's always this,
It's ne'er wrong to reflect,
You will then ask if you are living right,
So, bring on every one I can get!

The Way Around It

If the stars would align,
To bring peace to this world,
Would it burst forth from within all of us,
Or from without be curled,

Like a wire wrapped around an iron rod,
With love the battery,
Drawing our selfish hearts to the good pole,
To acknowledge the simple real'ty,

That working together, all benefit,
No one is left behind,
What we've built means no one must live hungry,
The fire of the unkind,

Or could it be,
The good will become bad,
As the stars align, the planets unseat,
So we are left with what we ever had.

The Big Cheese

Let time not rule progress,
Like it is wont to, now,
Preferring gibberish and rhetoric,
And an insincere bow,

Running on like a jaguar eating meat,
Or two children on fire,
Sopping up the mass leavings of the cops,
Hoisting upon their shoulders great liars,

Grinding through its mincer the freshest herbs,
Mixing them with poison,
Slathering the mush on the feet of queens,
As sun does the ocean,

Then calls it art.
Anyone understand?!
There is work to be done on time for pay,
Lest Communism takes over this land.

Your Great Work

How often must you fail,
T'accept it's not your time?
That, p'haps it's better to do what you do,
And let lying dogs lie,

Spend your free hours on this earth at peace,
Expect no more from it,
E'en altruistic goals may be ill-planned,
If prospect's from the summit's to plummet,

If it guarantees one life's not well-lived,
Namely, the one you've got,
And there's no promise for the other ones,
Benefiting or not,

It's all your choice,
To be or not to be,
Ideally, the two goals will correspond,
So you need not claim your morality.

Hope

There're a few kinds of hope,
Fleeting, drowned in despair,
No clear vision what salvation could be,
Hands grasp blindly for air,

Obliterating a different kind,
Born of a calmer mind,
Still not grasping for something possible,
In the real'ty of your daily grind,

Denying still another, more useful,
Acknowledging what's real,
Seeing the potential of given paths,
Choosing by appeal.

Still no promise,
Life offers no such thing,
But hope for something that is possible,
You open the door for the unforeseen.

Doing

There's something 'bout doing,
Leaves no room for mistakes,
With clear mind and determined objectives,
Regarding what you make,

It requires intimate knowledge of you,
Deepest fears, unnamed dreams,
Limitations of your flesh and spirit,
The root of your idiosyncrasies,

Then your true nature will be free to roam,
No need to monitor,
You have to focus on the task at hand,
'Cause that's what it's all for,

The truth of it,
In face of enemies,
Once you are passed all the indecision,
You may overcome the controversies.

Off The Couch

Imagine, if you will,
Living under pure trust,
In another person's promise to you,
To e'er do what he must,

To face the world's challenges together,
Become stronger than ones,
Who must live with nothing but what they have,
Like an animal, without emotions,

Now then, take that trust and strip it clean,
To what's inside of you,
Did you leave any for your own self-worth?
What if it all fell through?

All around you,
Circumstances just change,
Do you become the emotionless beast,
Has betrayal destroyed all of your range?

Letting Go

I need a new passport,
Got to get out of here,
This country doesn't suit my temperament,
Or my joy de vivre,

Or, let's face it, any desire for change,
And really, why should it?
There's far less killing of its citizens,
Than the lion's share of world governments,

Most people don't really have it that bad,
At least that's what we're told,
Living well don't need to mean living large,
Only not being sold,

And having hope,
Left off the question mark,
We must inspire each other ev'ryday,
Only the dead can survive in the dark.

Early Morning Jump

There's no point in writing,
If not to effect change,
Like all other acts in this goddamn world,
Except we're talking brains,

Brains that decide how to treat the homeless,
Based on how they got there,
You don't have to give change if you don't want,
It's about respect, not making it fair,

Brains that pass on their knowledge to the kids,
No matter how fucked up,
It's not a bad thing until someone's hurt,
And no one gives a fuck.

But, who am I?
Not perfect, that's for sure,
Like I've been saying over twenty years,
What can I do that will make me feel pure?

Lying

You'll never be closer,
To death than you are now,
Fearing it's fearing a part of yourself,
Of all things, this I vow,

So focus on that for a little while,
Does it inform your life?
One moment you're here and the next you're not,
Might give you a new outlook on your strife,

But, you say, such observations are trite,
Life, you must still endure,
The pain, struggle, deceit and oppression,
Of all things, this is sure,

It will not end,
Until the day it does,
It doesn't have to be as bad as that,
Just live, let live and beware of the fuzz.

A New Year Wish

'Most forgot to do this,
And now don't have much time,
The world around will be waking up soon,
Then no longer be mine,

I'm not saying it's a resolution,
Just trying to be me,
No regrets or bitter feelings abound,
We're all trying to authentic'lly be,

For once you are, so might ev'ryone else,
Like cars stopping at once,
On the highway, all of them as one mind,
No one calling anyone else a cunt,

'Cause that's not nice,
In any circumstance.
Can't everybody just get along?
Let's give two thousand, seventeen a chance.

A New Year

A part of my absence,
Despite telling myself,
That I am dedicated to The Fall,
To put Waths on the shelf,

Was more than freeing up the time to write,
Fear was driving me, too,
Well, this is a new year, and fear be damned,
It will no longer tell me what to do,

There's a place for it or it would not be,
I won't deny its use,
But it must spring up from the soul's instinct,
Not in light of abuse,

Or what might be,
No one can answer that,
Only the things one wishes there might be,
Are worthy of affecting how you act.