Let’s Dance
It’s raining
Psych meds
Beer bottles
And syringes
Oh my!
And I swear to Christ
The next motherfucker
Who tells me
‘Good job!’
And how glad they are
To hear that I don’t
Drink anymore
Is gonna regret the day
I traded
My boogie shoes
For an assault rifle
And know
What it takes
For a man
Like myself
To resist
The temptation
Of picking up a bottle
Drawing a bead
And really getting
To work
David Burdett
1/30/2024
All Shook Down
Gone are the days
The glorious tube top
Has been vilified
And the woman
Who wears it despised
The crushing of masculinity
Runs amok
And you don’t even know
Your own name
Your identity
Is the reason
For a parade
Mine is the cause
Of human suffering
It’s Friday night
My whiskey and meth
Won’t get to see a judge
Until next Tuesday
While your marijuana
And mushrooms
Have an indefinite stay
Of execution
Organic
Or natural
Or nurtured
Or by choice
It does not require
My approval to exist
And I don’t need
To be educated
On how not to hate
Told what is just
Or forced
To shake hands
With another
Human being
David Burdett
1/29/2024
Ivermectin
“My guinea pig has lice,”
she says, which means
a veterinarian and an
ivermectin prescription,
Google says, which means
a drive too long for the
ailing minivan, the
check engine light says,
which means the mechanic
again and time off work and
a loan, my account balance says,
but she held him close
when COVID closed the world
and she could not hug
friends, this warm little creature
cooing on her chest, nibbling
hay as she Zoomed with
her teacher who would die,
so many would die,
“I’m sorry,” I say,
“we’ll help him.”
Mineral Rights
Wigged out
Behind the wheel
On some godforsaken
Los Angeles freeway
I keep telling you
I’m sick
As the thud
Of another Walmart
Slumps into the earth
You’re sucking the bottom
Out of a bucket of Pepsi
And I am unable to stop
Thinking about mineral rights
And crushed butterflies
What’s wrong?
All I’ve ever wanted
Is the exact opposite
Of what this place
Keeps shoveling
Down my throat
Disgusted
Not saying
What I’m feeling
Why am I here?
As my heart
Like the sun
Keeps on sinking
David Burdett
1/20/2024
Can’t Hardly Wait
I had a dream
I was choking
On my own fist
My brother spoke
Compassionately
And eloquently
Of dreams deferred
Keep talking asshole
Right or wrong
One of these nights
You’re gonna wakeup
Screaming my name
And when it’s over
You will know
The meaning of pain
And what it feels like
To be living
In a nightmare too
David Burdett
1/20/2024
Herd of Pigs
The dreams only come some nights, but always leave a strong impression. Never the same, but always similar in nature. At first they were baffling in a benignly worrisome way. Not quite a nightmare, but certainly unsettling. The place is always different, sometimes occurring in a strange wooded forest, other times a teeming city that seems familiar by way of a recognizable landmark but not much else. In any case, the context remains constant.
So, in every version, Ralph starts in a comfortable place, a familiar place, like home perhaps. But then, for whatever obtuse reason not entirely clear, he must venture out to find someone in order to deliver a message. That is always where things get complicated. Because on the way to deliver the message, he gets increasingly farther from finding whomever he is trying to find and share it with. Getting lost to the point where sharing the message is not nearly as important as trying to find a way back.
The problem always starts with asking for directions. He has odd encounters with an ever changing cast of characters that point him in the supposedly right direction. Unfortunately, he only gets more lost, going increasingly wayward, off the beaten path.
They all seem so helpful! Obscure bit part actors from cinema whose names are hard to recall, the long dead headmaster from the academy, the new postmaster, a young girl he'd chatted with briefly at the market only yesterday, so many others. They all confidently give directions. "Just head up there and turn left, you can't miss it." That sort of thing.
Unfortunately they all direct him farther and farther from his original purpose. At some point the feeling of being too lost to continue is what will wake him. On opening his eyes, he typically takes a brief moment to realize that, no, there isn't a hole worn in the soles of his shoes.
At first Ralph assumed the dreams were about trying to find Piggy. During these nocturnal walkabouts, he routinely meets the living and those that passed. So why not wrap everything into a tidy interpretation that made sense even if it didn't offer any consolation? Ralph finally eventually decided that not knowing might be better. What would he say to Piggy anyway?
"Sorry" would not do much good for anyone at this point anyway.
Realizing that actually helped offset the feeling of being lost. Why not enjoy the journey instead of worrying about the outcome? Getting lost isn't so bad if you find an adventure and meet interesting characters along the way. So today, with that in mind, Ralph smiles as he rubs the Sandman's grit from his eyes.
He rises from the bed. It is chilly, but the sun will rise soon. There is time to sleep some more, but getting a head start on the day makes sense. From his last interview he knows the company will offer the management role. More pay for less hours. Sounds great, but after sleeping on it, Ralph has decided otherwise. He wants to stick with the union to protect his benefits. A management position doesn't offer that security. Besides, he needs to stay with his crew. They need him because he keeps the herd in line. He could always change his mind in the future.
He just hopes they will understand when he delivers the message.
(This is a prologue for a sequel to "Lord of the Flies". According to the American Library Association, "Lord of the Flies" is the eighth-most frequently banned and challenged book in the nation)
Short Story Collection Being Released
Hi everyone!
I just wanted to share that I'll be releasing a collection of short stories on February 1st. Many of the stories in this collection have been featured here, while others haven't. If anyone is interested, you can find it on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CRQZTJM5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CRDHZ7RB04E0&keywords=theres+gold+in+those+hills&qid=1704751382&sprefix=theres+gold+in+those+hill%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-1
I'm pretty excited about this and I just wanted to thank The Prose community for being the major reason for this collection. Before I joined this community, my writing was directionlesss and you've help me find direction.
So, thanks everyone!