Day: June 1, 2008

CME

poetry

I have a vision
of a revolution
starting soon
by kids just like you

in the middle of the night
they will sneak into houses
and make everything right

they’ll pour out bottles of beer
and leave copies of Shakespeare

they will replace guns with pens
so words may be used to make amends

they will free abused children
and let them know God loves them

they will transform profanity
into esoteric vocabulary

they will give voices to those silenced
to speak out against this violence

they will find lost fathers
and make them tuck in their toddlers

they will erase tags of C.M.D.
and post their college degrees
and proclaim that they are C.M.E.:

Camden’s Most Educated.

and they are here to

replace
create
believe
hope

here to

save
free
teach
speak

and someday you will see Camden in the news
not for gunshots, drugs, or booze
but for a group of kids who were fed up
and decided that they’d be the ones to step up.

Sunday’s Mass

poetry

Father, ship me back to the heaven’s factory
I am not well made,
my alter ego is a creep in the dark
my shell need a bit of fixing
my soul leaks and a drought is a comin’

father Jean speaks of a great plan for every life
but how can i trust the words of a man who
softly cries alone in a confessional?
I see, feel no plan
My drunk father drove his way to the heavens, and
took with him a young teen who was standing on the crosswalk
“There is no heaven for alcoholics and
there is no haven for your mother”, my aunt tells me.
My mother used barbiturates to smuggle my six year old self to heaven
my heart stopped for a while but in the end
she went without me.

Father, I’m not looking for a quick refund
I’ve got no oil to keep grime and rust away
I’m running empty
so please
ship me up above
ship me back anew