Valentine’s Day

imageO Valentine’s Day

can mean so many things

roses and diamond rings

love pledges in the sky

romanty cards a sweet caress

how to say I love you best

hearts swell with prompt and sway

For me, it’s just my birthday

if I’m still here for this one

then Valentine’s Day must be

one perfectly magical gift of a day

in every conceivable way

and yeah, I’m glad to share it

with you.

Poisoned

img_5690I was standing just now outside

wind working hard to hinder or knock me off my held breath position

See I was hunched over legs open wide (human tripod in mind—

I lean toward organics) and nearly still still still enough at least

aiming my lens at this southern slip of currently naked tree trunk just right

exactly what I needed to cut what would in a few seconds be

a partial wink of perfect blinding sun leaking out from below a dirty

little trickster raincloud. I was there my right index already on the shutter so

light so close not even butterfly breath could have slipped through

Ready? Ready. Stop all thought no flow at all huh-uhhuhh do not blink or move

The moment the moment the slightest shift makes all the diff—

and then the poison! Politics. Other peoples’ stupidity. Madness baseless hate

Time wasters unwisers narcissism solipsism accuse-ism dumbism exclusionism

grimacism sneerism ignoramusism Imememine-ism foolism violencism

makenosenseatall-ism schism miserableism hatism destructism shitism…

It’s the twenty first century this modern mad dog barking muddled up plot

poisoning of the potential of the human mind

the threat to intelligence the rise of bad news fake news danger everywhere fear of

everyone run hide get a weapon buy another one shun shun news

fists of the vicious narrow vacant eyes looking in through windows prying trying

whatever means to pollute our innocent trusting souls with foul breath and

slippery slope arguments, with an utter inability

to comprehend the merits of respectful discourse, introspection, diplomacy,

consultation with others who know something of the subject in mind (any subject)

the advantage

of being kind, the concepts of considering consequences before shouting non sequitur

answers to question from mouths you can’t see because your monoism has rendered

you blind—poison seeps in so fast. It’s singular goal is to kill.

And it’s not the wind I’m wrestling anymore

It’s the great rumble of unstoppable nonsense

the roiling cacophony of fools fed on unfoods, ha ha sitcoms prophet for profit

slayers of evil undefined but true so true you better believe or hell hell

pretend leaders sleazy compromisers greedy petty world uglifiers

social media the news the mouths the heads half interested eyes the lips

The arses? Maybe. Sure. It’s the arses, too.

Do I have to love these? I guess I might. I do? (It’s not easy but hate begets

more hate and that’s nowhere to go for me not for you either whether you know it or

not, some things are just truths that’s the way it is so here we go, so)

I catch my sun ray. I am there. Imbalance is my cue.

I go inside wipe my nose

Camera down

I strike a deal. Squeeze poison from wound

Seems I’ll live.

Insert wisdom. Know when what where your balance hangs

mine is on the turntable

My mind is sacred

it’s not for sale for any price

Poison is dangerous. I saw the warning five hundred years ago it said

Don’t drink. Life is precious for everyone. Every one. Remember who you are

Remember what it is you cling to in this world is what and who you’re gonna be so:

I look for art in the raindrop on that flower next to the path

I see dancers in the roots of trees reaching out of limestone cliffs

I saw that sunset and it saw me

Now I’m singing and it goes like this (leave your hate in that old barrel

and you can come inside. I already forgive you for your lies)

Give a little bit

Give a little bit of your love to me

(Listen: Roger Hodgson 12 string shines here)

We’re still alive in the amazing light of our own stable making

Stay alert damn it. You and me, we’re worth saving.

we’re worth saving.