It’s a rough life out there,
listening to alt-rock records from
the nineties and wishing things
could be they way they used-ta-been,
before you needed rent money every month.

And the coffee you drink doesn’t
percolate, it’s far too fancy for
such Americana to allow. And while
there’s nothing high and mighty about
foreign cars, there’s certainly something
cocky about some of them.

Look, I’m not saying you should
break the law, I’m just saying that
not all dumpsters have locks on them,
and not all the unlocked ones say
“Do Not Occupy.”

Find yourself a new place to stay
if things are so damn difficult.
Dig?

Let’s ride this wave
Out
Out
Out
But watch for the undertow
And let’s ride this wave
Way
Way
Way out
Until the golden sand and
Colorful dots have disappeared
Let’s hang ten until the skyline
Is undulating tides and peaking waves
And we’re riding this wave
Out
Out
Out
And we’ll see what’s out there
And we’ll see the lights
And we’ll see the world
Let’s ride this wave
Way
Way
Way out
And see where it takes us
And when we’re finished
Hope the current brings us back

the light came
he left the house
creaks and leaks following him
scared to her eye balls,
his wife pinned a halo on his hair
hoping to turn him into a better man
the run down city leapt through him
he flew away over the old railroad tracks
thinking, “am I right, am I alright?”

For all the times you
couldn’t stand the barking,
some night you wish
you could hear that old dog bark
one more time

There’s a bunch of people
in a restaurant, at a booth,
and they’ve all got instruments
which is not so strange, considering.

Except they’ve got the instruments
out of cases, with a pair of songbooks
and a jar for tips. Not so strange
except the restaurant doesn’t quite
usually field musical acts.

But they’re playing.

And the woman in the booth across
is lounging, with her head against her
hands, and a mask of absolute defeat
covering her rather lovely face

Well, the waitress stops and asks
her for he order, with a smile, and
the woman quietly answers all the
questions, including “Is there something
wrong?” Of course there is. Her
car broke down. it’s been a long
damn day.

But they’re playing

While the woman sits, she
listens to the music from the booth
across, and slowly, her mask works
it’s way loose, but just a bit.

So, she gets a bit more comfortable,
eyes closed and facing the ceiling
as the songs she never thought she’d
hear at this hour, in this place,
wash over her and everyone until
her mask slips finally.

Do you know any Tom Petty?
of course they do, they say.
So they both flip through their songbooks
and the woman smiles thoughtfully
and all is not right with the world,
but the bits that aren’t don’t matter
so much right now.

Oh, and they’re playing.

joy and overwhelming satisfaction
fill most of my hours
but sometimes after a dinner with too much
cream or perhaps it’s related to whiskey
following beer i’ll

lay front back front back side side front
roll roll roll
quiver quiver shake and wonder

how can i fear when i cannot focus?
what am i fearing that i cannot even pin down?

the panic can overcome me powerfully

coke helps

The alcohol’s numbed my lips
But honestly I promise
If I could speak
My mouth is tumbling with words
So I’ll tip back
And keep looking for answers
Written in the froth of another draught
Cause we both know
We’re not that strong
Ernest as your tears attempt to talk
I’m preoccupied
Ordering another
Shot of heartache please?
No, make it two
We’ll drink to existence
Secretly hoping it ends
But would you mind taking
That bullet out of my glass
I’ve bitten it one too many times
Shame I couldn’t say it sober
But cheers to another stupor
The longer it lasts
The less time we’ll regret

I will, I will, I
promise. Karma’s
got me by the balls again.
I will, I’ve killed, but
now I sense
you’re not amused this time.

Oh
I will, I will! It’s
just so much
to try and handle all alone.
I will, I will, as
you forget you used to be
a friend of mine.

the winds changed
leaves left reminders of
death on pristine grass

(mowed mind you
not naturally toe-tickling)

bindweeds caught me hypnotized
lost in mild self hate
warm beer warping my taste buds
leaving an aftertaste vision
the adult child daddling her fear
unable to dodge the bullet,
or give her mother her youth back

There’s nothing quite as offensive
as a lit cigarette in a room of non-smokers:
the mark of a guest as unwelcome as
the pungent sick he permeates with.

Though, in all measured, fair, and honest
assessments, perhaps that room
could use a little shaking up;
Perhaps those boys and girls
need
their cages rattled.

Well son,
light another one, and get yourself lit too.
There’s a lot of folks that just don’t smoke
(Read: You’ve got a lot of work to do).

money is your god
and i know you know you know that
fact
and the graveyard is the
only place left for people
like you
the graveyard is where you
must all go
the graveyard where i can
drink rum and laugh at
the size of it.

courtyards wine ice-tea
spaghetti penne sausage
chili sauce bruchetta
grass stars dim-sky-pointed lights
great service white tablecloths
and you

’bout right

Of course hope covers us
of course mercenary love lacerates us
of course music rocks our drownings
of course madness grasps us in the middle of these struck down people
of course sobriety reflect a certain elegance
of course silence unseams souls guilty of having
created nothing, not even a plastic toy to last an eternity
However when you have no one not much is real, not the
city lights, dirty water or paycheck in your pocket
When you have no one,wings spread in loneliness at the top of a bridge

Nature is no mother of mine,
she twists me every chance she gets.