Tick-Talk

Father
his unrelenting
breathing, that
rhythm of his
breath

the waltz
that says
"you're leaving,"
the din undone
toward death

that water
waiting there
to boil like
coconuts
are left

upon the shore
from sun to soil,
to bob
and boil
in theft,

their stolen
from the sun
you see, a son
whose father
left

from the fronds
they were cast
out to sea
like fishermen
with nets

the boy, he's boiled
tremendously,
knew island
right to
left

the coconuts
washed out
to sea, where
sailing father
slept

whose messages
those prays and pleas,
watch waves while
widows wept

now time, he's
been a bad father,
no sound while
shadows crept

he's fast asleep
just past the waves,
beyond moon's
waning crest

Faith

Like a prayer,
I believe that
you listen,
you're there

my invisible reader
my invincible god
I trust you with
all of my care

in flippant decrees
we agree on repair,
I trust that
you're there

a fire or heater
or radiator near
the winter the cold
your eyes your ears

you're there
in new york in
Detroit in
despair

Right there
without a
working day's
care

you're belly
full up with
the peaches
and pears

There you are
singing and
there you are
talking and

There you are
reading, on
streets, you are
walking;

something's in
the air, in the
wind and your
hair, a sweater

sweats rain drops
and gum drops
droptop drops
no spare

the snow and
the sleet and
the ice, they
all tear

at the canvas
pulled back
winter wind
whipping fair

In frozen night's
hollows,
we pray for
our share

crown electric
pulled tightly,
we squirm in
the chair

near hot fire
or heater or
furnace laid
bare

Satan's heat
in the open
his warn winter's
wear

Together
for Christmas
with ham in
beard hair

we all sing
we all shout
we all gawk
we all stare

"but who cares
who cares
who cares,"
(junt junt junt)

Reactor

I'm writing this
While driving on
The highway in
The rain

An orange county AM
Rain, 3 days before christmas

That home alone
Miami kindof rain

Hunter thompson
Did drugs on the air
Real heavy stuff
And your mad at me

Oh your endangering
Lives, how could you
With the toddler in
The car next to you!

You must have forgotten
What young tastes like,
Like iron in blood
Like inmortality

Like sex with the
Lights on,
Like fangs, teeth
Feet and toungues

Like risking your life
For fun

Saying profanity
Infront of a crowd
Loud
Fuck

That was fun

The road is red ahead
From wet lit morning
Breaklights

Sit tight son,
There's more to come

Bad Posture

How many poems must a man
write down before you
can call him a man?

The phone rings constantly
off the hook and falls
and falls and falls

a hankercheff rolled
on the outside of
your hands mimicking

a waterfall: blue,
orange, red, green
purple all tied

together, spilling
out from your coat
pocket, your magiccoat

this coast left salt
clean in our mouths
no solution to that

problem, not clear
water, just clear doubt
spouting praise

like cream on cake,
those credit cards
created clout

don't you doubt
what drink has done;
I'm not the only one.

The Devil is Driving

recently, I drept
that I was in a
truck, in the back

this wasn't no
regularry truck
no it was a semi

and the whole
18 wheeler was
made of glass

black glass
that becomes
clearer as you

look at it
read it,
scan it with eyes

I'm stuck in this
glass truck going
80 all the way

to Vegas or Mexico
or Wyoming or some
other american hell

and you, my darling,
you are up in the cab
riding shotgun while

I'm a prisoner in the
back, black glass like
tar and ocean sand

between us. Our america
whipping past, postal codes
are minutes, miles and

I'm a kind-of slave
stuck with a typewriter,
hands tied to the seat

I have to write, while you
sleep and eat and talk,
and I write with my toungue

against the old metal keyboard.
Can you taste these words like
I do? I don't think that metal

taste came from the typewriter;
it came from the blood, it's come
from the driver.

Who Will Survive in America?

We will destroy
them and we will
destroy ourselves

a drip castle that
has peaked and
fallen in on itself

there will be another
and another and another
but no Rome, no America

my blood decided to
put all the poison
in your well, well

don't forget this
smile, cuz it's face
this face, is it.