Gambit

In deep desperation

She goes into the fumes

Under the knife

Controlled by strangers

With a fate that

Shrivels and swells

Forcing a walk

Off the gangplank

Onto the tightrope

With little awareness

Of the dual future

Multiple guess answers

Beyond what a young student

Novice warrior

Should have to face

In a battle against the abyss

Falling forward

With a destiny

Crying out, breaking with tradition

Into a sky vault

Micro chasm, mega chasm

Alternate plan

That tips the scales,

Scaling off the tips

Of a tough choice

Revered bravado

That shines on

Whichever way the dice will roll.

Homestead

He listens to the

Cackling radio

Over the waves

Through the frayed cord

Plugged into faulty wiring

On a rotting porch

Hoping for a win

From the home team

Hometown crack of the bat

Roar of the crowd

Barely audible announcer

While the family freezes in silence

As if their livelihood

Depends upon the game,

Is all they have,

And it is,

Except for the breezy shrine

Of the penciled-in scorecard

In a simpler time

Waiting for the ninth inning reward

Of a roasted chicken

And a shut-out.

Al Aqsa Amateur

chucklehead

ranklehead

no beauceant for the old bonehead

only black and white

is on the skin

and not within

as long as you

will play with him

my brother pledges death or honor

while

chucklehead

ranklehead

pledges free toasters

hype

and hatred

no beauceant for the old bonehead

of a tiny little mind

and tiny little dreams

kill our dreams

to kill our will

scimitar of ranklehead

chucklehead

no beauceant for an old bonehead

I built it

I did

stone on stone

stone on stone

sword in one hand

trowel in the other

no beauceant for the old bonehead

of a tiny little mind

and tiny little dreams

Feeding Frenzy

Broken cable, elevator shaft, broken rules, get the shaft

Falling into free fall, rocking, falling,

Fear daggers thrown, child eye daggers,

Stab with those eyes

Cut the veil, cut the sheet

Look at who is on the other side

Mud bucket, slosh bucket, waiting for you at the bottom

To rinse those feet, dip those shoes into water,

Out of slime, into slime

Backwards into the mud, walk away and don’t remember,

But, we remember.

As the daggers cut and slice

The mud can’t hurt

If it’s washed off, cleaned and scrubbed

But it festers in that dagger wound that stares

With the verbal bacteria and pus,

All festering and rotting

And we are in a free falling elevator

Listening to the top hat, dapper spat

Tux coat, waist coat (waste coat)

Silver stripes and silver tongue

Politely nods for you to take a dip

Dip your shoes into the slime bucket to get clean

While he turns his head, tips his bowler

With no good tips but to dip into the slime

As it festers in the blinking wound

We all get pink slips from ourselves

Fired for being fired up

All fired up and we can’t recall that we caused it all

Being fools and dipping into the paint chip,

Sheep dip slime bucket in free fall

Shame on us all

As the little dagger eyes stare up

We push them away no room in the elevator

Of the free fall cat call, high ball

Media blitz, blitz torte

Oozing cable, oozing pus, rusty cable

Blood drips and tears leak as we free fall

Get off the elevator

Watch your shoes, don’t wash your shoes

In the slime bucket broken down cable car

Free fall comes to a stall

Landing on stacks of money at the bottom of it all.