Doing Time
I am barred to this
I am barred to that
& every borrowed
word bows & nods
a twinkle in the skies
to have come to me,
myself & all the wine
I have poured out
inside my head
&
yet we'll not
complain...
You are barred to this
You are barred to that
& every borrowed
word bows & nods
a wrinkle in the mind
to have come to us,
selfless & drunken thus
we have poured on
from our content
2024 DEC 09
We were adopted by a black cat in 1988
She flattered the adults, selecting our porch, allowing pets.
A breeding-machine, pregnant at that meeting... Soon, inside, she gave my sister her soul-cat, an aloof mostly-white-calico.
A year later, another brood with a black-grey-mackerel, more-than-kitten.
Nine, I insisted.
Mom said: such an ordinary cat?!
Love at first sight, she was anything but; eating paw-to-mouth, sleeping stretched mummy-like in bed, riding out chores like a boa; she'd sled in winter, swim-n-fish in summer.
In my absence she shadowed the hi-shelves; when home, she lived under my shirt.
She had a litter and ate them.
I forgave her.
They were stillborn.
2024NOV30
Staying Fit
The sun is very fond
of angles
seen by the way its rays
fall, tri- as shadows
And water whatever
its form
always prefers the circle
we see how it rolls
and cycles
But man is polygon
a demigod
multisided form
with untold sides
Facets
to catch the light
prismatic
perplexed as how
to move arm or leg
ahead
Or sip liquid
through a straw
to reach the brain
decisions complicated
enough
without adding conscious
hiccup
as how to stay in shape
or fit oneself
into space
2024 NOV 26
The Monocle
Focus at one point
is a must
to lean into a thing
learn it, thus
experience teaches
the nature of hyena
howling
(this is taking too long!?)
in sardonic drawl
objective spread
over the indeterminate
while
as such git,
never gets done
like house cleaning
always put off
& putting off
posturing, circling
or building muscle
true 5 minutes a day
of prowess, stretch
leads to some good
in dissipation
& daily shuffle
but not so much
as maniacal focus
does
in seeing
through
any arbitrary
deadline hunt
& so, shutter
of an eye in the
photographing
of wild subjects,
for later, plain
out of the jungle
should these slide
over
the monocle
like a cackle
of hyena
striped, or spotted
with crooked smile
2024 OCT 20
In the Swing of Things
all input seems good
till we begin analyzing
Pro-cessing... it...
we amplify emotions
& wonder...
what is that shit?
& what could it mean
what if...?
& we get busy tinkering
with compulsion
to neutralize
& neuter it
because we only want
what we want to hear
& see?
this Is how it was meant
as we sit reflecting
under the barren tree
having mulched
every discordant leaf
that dared deface
the suburban lawn
with fragile sense of self-import
still somewhat green
against the ancient dirt
all things are pushed
out towards
decay
& Hurry up! we say
good riddance,
we've no patience
for the pace of the elderly
who remind, no one takes time
to really listen anyway...
our dog creaks on its walk
and we pull the lead
for pressing obligations
two steps away...
Com' on!
& we are
that listless
hound
in sepia
leveled brown
on brown on brown
& our silent movie
fades to blank
2024 OCT 14
Fakest Fake
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, we agree that it's fake?"
"Ok, but clarify."
"A robot fakes actions, emotions, and people do too..."
"So, then, which is the 'bigger' fake?"
"Yes, now you've got it!"
"Hm. One is a fake faker. And the other an honest fake. Or the other way around, an honest faker and a fake fake...?"
"Is it a question of intent and motivation?"
"Say an actor fakes and gets lauded for it. A bot fakes and gets awards, rather it's manufacturers do... But, if an ordinary folk fakes..."
"Man--!"
"Phoney. Complete fake."
2024 OCT 07