June 22, 2018

lines

somewhere in america,
there are women
whose arms are empty
and whose breasts
keep filling with milk
for babies who have been taken away.
somewhere in america,
there are box stores,
warehousing not goods,
but evil:
thousands of children in cages,
hot tents in the desert
filled with kids whose parents
have been locked up
for existing, for dreaming,
for daring to survive.
they crossed a line
and they will pay.
somewhere in america,
prisons pop up
like poisonous mushrooms
as people shrug and look away.
somewhere in america,
there are people who
profit from this,
money flowing
as the tears flow,
a bitter river.
somewhere in america,
corruption continues
to bubble and seep,
the only trickle-down that works,
a sickly tar
paving our way to hell.
somewhere in america,
in a congressional closet
they coat-check their souls
and collect their pay,
lining their pockets
as democracy dies
and children cry,
and i say to anyone
who will listen:
we have crossed a line.






June 9, 2018

lost and found

dark dog barking
in the back of my mind
dark water sucking me down
when the woes of the world
come knocking
dark dog is barking there too
dark water rising
tugging at my hem
cold but familiar
darkness, darkness,
dark dog barking
calling my name
dark water closing
over my head

*********************************************

breaking the surface again
shedding sorrow like water
worn and wet through
but still
putting one foot
in front of the other
sinking my teeth
into all that's delicious
reaching for all that is bright
and shining and soft
skirting the pool of dark water
throwing dark dog a bone
and turning my face to the sun
your time is done
for now






ashes, ashes...

some of the worst days come when we are nostalgic about something we never really had: true love, certainty, time... our memories hold false...