Morning

There is no time like the present

life is not a dress rehearsal

wake up for God's sake

The Devil is Patient When There's Hell to Pay

The apocalypse turned on a dime

the whirlpool down the drain

of my crimes

I didn't mean to do it

there was a gun and a broken window

and a lock of his hair

I didn't mean to do it

there was this mob boss thing

a sack of diamonds and a golden ring

I escaped just barely to Austria

They said do it don't matter what it cost-ya

--OH KAY--

And you'll be on a beach out of reach

but the plans were foiled

the water boiled

the snake coiled

and here I am

counting slashes on the wall

singing "Redemption Song" in B.

The Sun Took Over

I don't know how I noticed it was you

your hat was pulled down over your face

Fog rolled in by the bay

and the morning boats pulled away

The shadows stretched like the tide

as the streetlights extinguished

and the sun took over

 

Holding Me Together

 What is to be said about the thousand pieces of tape?

The Speed of Time

Many strange things have transpired inside of my heart

Many strangers have seen into my soul

Many souls have seen into my stranger

Many rocks have seen my roll

Many rolls have gathered stones

Moss thinks itself smarter

but it is the speed of time

that gets me now.

Hope

I cannot let the mindset of hope dwindle

I cannot let the bear of the microphone eat me

I must sing, dance and play

running circles around my own doubt

until I am laughing at myself

Smile and Verify

The computer often asks me to verify myself

and I've been asking myself the same

turning the ring on my finger

and smiling into the wind because life is short

and why not smile

Bring the good mood

Usher in the day

It's about coffee as well as

It's about jogging and eating food to gain energy

I've often thought of prayer

on rainy nights sitting by the window

heart beating and storm raging

I've often thought of sun

when sitting under the moonlight

Why can't I just see what is in front of me

for once?

Home Inside Myself

 I am home inside myself.

 I am home inside myself.

 I am home inside myself.

 I am home inside myself.

The Earth tunes in to 

the waving clouds

burned solid through

the mosquito smoke

trees hang in the wind

like bunches of grapes

ocean waves dark and

indigo melting into the

sand, dreaming in 

wild colors.

How

After speaking in tongues for so long, snake pit venom mixed in with the red wine

on the table with the hemlock the hems of the dresses being pulled by the threads of time

How can I ever now turn honest, in the court of law?

And love the angel that came to me

in the fog of the Clark Street night

Puckered, Pampered, Pacified

Second version:

The night whispers through the trees and hums my favorite tunes

in the darkness, blacker than oil, smoother than a movie star's silk robes. 

First version:

Pacified for now, the heart of my jewels shines

Opened for now, the treasure trunk dusty genie lamps heave wishes

Closed for now, the door to my soul is always creaking in the wind

Pampered for now, the movie star's silk robes are dropping

Puckered for now, her lips are like a wild rose

Pumping for now, the oil fields are on fire

Burning for now, the hearts of men are charred to black

Black for now, the night is calling you

whispering for now, humming her favorite tunes.

Poems After Sunset

It's weird, I've had this blog for years

and I've never tried to write a poem at night

Is it because after sunset, the demons come out?

Or perhaps a Jewish violinist can't stay awake.

Not sure. I throw rocks into the Lake at night

or run a stick through the mud

count the stars and heave smooth glass at the tree trunks

I cup the cold sand in my hand

and peacefully become a remission of my own self.

That's what I usually do at night, 

not write poems.