The Ocean pales

compared to the depths

of the Sea within.

brake brake brake

a sudden interruption.

screeching rubber,

the burning smell

of searing asphalt.

double-time rhythms
# # # # # # # # # # #
poundpoundpound

a throbbing reminder

of the continued state

of being.

Dischord

doors slamming
words speaking
feet walking
hands moving
misunderstanding
knowing
loving
close caress
what of
this mess?

You wake up and wonder

why you're not

asleep. You fix this

by getting back in bed.

"eliding joy and pain.


And it pleases all who hear."


- Patty Seyburn, 


"The Emergence of Hilarity, Chapter Seven"

Promise

What kind of promise is it?
A promise to yourself?
A promise to the future?
Is it a promise worth keeping?
When we say PROMISE
do we mean to say
the potential within
or to an action
 in future tense?
It is important to clarify
as surely it will 
come up again.
I promise.

life ceases to surprise us as the years we lived
trail behind us like a fine mist.

the days become a senseless river flowing into the ocean

Cold Chamber of light

odds and ends spread over end over end

Cartography of the Soul

The Only New Regions For

Cartographers To Make Are

The Inner Landscapes.

You Can't Like Everyone

Don't worry about getting everyone to like you.
It's not going to ever happen.
Have you liked everyone you've ever met?
Exactly, don't worry about it.

When you run into someone you cannot stand
you don't dwell on it, you don't let it concern
you more than it needs to. There are plenty
of other things to worry about.

The likes and dislikes of just one person
are too small for any one of us to lose
much sleep over. This isn't high school,
we're not voting for prom king or queen.

 Now, get back out there, read the news and see
what they're saying about the president.

Hitting Floor

Clotted up blood

of a bruise

stains my knee

like a birthmark.

It is still tender

to the touch

after having 

hit the floor

harder than it 

should have to.

It is not glorious

to gaze upon,

but it makes

for a great story

to tell over a few

drinks as we 

laugh about

everything

and nothing.

A Few Ideas That Didn't Work

Easy to love, but hard to get along with

would be too simple a way

to describe you.

____
I don't want to remember anymore
Holding on was the problem
Letting go has been harder
____


Do we really know what we are saying
when we talk about love?
For example, I say
"I love you".
Is it equivalent to you saying
the same thing?
How can we weigh
the intensity
the sincerity
of those words?
They carry the strength
of cannon shot
but we wield them like cotton balls.
____

It's disappointing when the words fall flat.
Is it their fault?
Not likely.
Blame the hand that orders them.

Numerology

It is almost impossible to not

think of our lives in terms of pure numbers.

How much will it cost me? How much do I

need to work to save up enough money?

Today I have to drive at least forty

miles back and forth in traffic to get home.

The list is always growing more and more.

They bleed into the background of our lives

with uncanny stealth, embedded into

places far removed than from mere fractions.

They goad us easily at the gas pump

knowing we are helpless in their presence.

We can seek no armistice in this war,

we cannot resist numeric power.   

Seven Has Two Syllables

Don't listen to Bukowski.

He had talent and could write.

That nonsense about drinking,

that man was the exception.


You are not the exception.

Face it, we are not as good.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Do not rely on his voice

or other inspirations.


I should take my own advice,

perhaps I'll do that later.

Come to know the Word yourself.

She is a patient lover,

and love her you must, always.


She is both the Muse and Means.

When she does not come to you

refrain from cursing her name,

the blame could come from others.


Let the words keep coming through,

do nothing to impede them.

2 Separate Ideas in Progress

I.

There is violence in the process.

They fall like bodies on a battlefield.

Triage must be conducted,

those that can be saved,

versus the acceptable

unacceptable losses.


II.
Your knees ache from where they bashed
against the floor in front of the stage.
Two bodies collapsing in a heap
as sound roared louder than any primal beast
from past epochs long since disappeared.
Is this salvation? Is this absolution?
Numbness disappears for a moment
as pain cracks like thunder
racing through limbs
searching for the location
of the origin of agony.

In His Image

You can't buy crazy,

you either have it or you don't.

God knew what he was doing.

Every detail of design,

every perfectly placed

beauty mark

and psychic tick

were accounted for

at your creation.

Don't be angry.

We were created

in His image.

Peel off your skin

to find

the fur

beneath.

Origin & Myth

Lets get married.

First, we kiss,

exchange vows

to cement the intangible.


The story is never so simple.

Trace it backwards,

chance and circumstance,

connections made or missed.


Awkward moments

of grinding uncertainty,

the moment of asking.

Acceptance and relief.


The steadying bloom

of uncertain petals

hide beneath branches,

a shaded place.


Could the moment

of Love's inception

be more vulnerable

than we remember?


Darling, lets kiss.

Remove origin

and myth,

Kiss.

An Order Older Than Ourselves

It's never hard to decide when to leave,

the only struggle we face is whether or not to return.

Migratory animals have no such problem,

they bow to an order greater than themselves.

Geography and direction are embedded

in DNA more ancient than our oldest cities.

Trapped by routine and convenience

have we become the most unnatural of creatures?

Fell In Love With A Girl

Fell in love with a girl

then she said goodbye

I went away 

far away

I couldn't stay

so I went away

when I came back

there was no one

to see

nothing to do

so I had to go away

where I will go

I don't know

I don't know

The Page

Don't call it a block.

Obstruction might be more like it,

but that does connote a physical presence 

as opposed to an intangible idea 

that bottles the mind up like a cork

jammed into the reaches of the psyche.

How can you stop it?

Take a deep breath,

and go.

First word,

best word,

who cares

just let them be

let them order themselves

let meaning forge itself

from disparate pieces. 

Afterwards, sit back and glance 

at the words.

Now the work begins.

Wrinkled Gray

We collect information with boundless passion.
Facts, both practical and arcane,
take nest within folded gray matter.
Have you ever wondered
if its folds occur from accumulated knowledge?
Would the mind of a new born child
be smooth and bare?
I'm sure someone knows.
Dates, shopping lists,
food allergies of friends,
the winning score from last night,
the cross-street in downtown
for that great new bar you heard about,
perhaps the knowledge
of an upcoming celestial event
that passes once every several
hundred years.
They collide spectacularly
like the scene of an accident
at rush hour on the freeway.
Can our mind distinguish the worth
of one piece of information over another?
Or is worth a purely democratic affair?
It would seem unreasonable
for knowing the birthday of your favorite
celebrities spouse to take precedence
over the ability to recall the use
of the quadratic equation.
It is such a pitiful being
sitting there
alone in darkness
subject to the whims
of our baser instincts
when all it ever wants
is for a moments rest
and to read that book
you picked up at the airport
before your last flight.

What It Is To Be

To be

To have been

To want 

To accept 

To reject

To watch

To participate

To plan

To desire

To need

To be needed

To harm

To forgive

To heal

To listen

To run

To ache

To do

To drink

To order

To write

To erase

To you

To no one

To myself

Where did the time go?

Where did you go?

Where am I going?

Hummingbird Incident (revised class submission)

A hummingbird accidentally

entangled itself in her

niece's hair, so she did 

what any aunt would do,

she reached over and began

to untangle them;

as you can imagine, there

was a shared anxiety 

between all three

as her hands began 

to separate hair

and hummingbird,

it was an unusual sight,

her hands trembled, 

seeking to harm neither

bird nor niece-

the young girl stayed 

as still as she could,

soon, her aunt held 

the hummingbird,

its wings still, neither flitting 

nor flying, merely sitting,

waiting for the right moment

to take flight once more.

Hummingbird Incident

A hummingbird accidentally
entangled itself into her
niece's hair, so she did
what any good aunt would do,
she reached over to niece
and hummingbird to untangle
them from one another;
as you can imagine, there
was a moment of anxiety
shared between all three,
as the aunt's hand began
to untangle the hair
and hummingbird from one
another, and yes it was a bit
of an unusual sight, though
one filled with a set of hands
delicately seeking to harm
neither hummingbird nor
niece- the young girl stayed
as still as she could, and soon
the hands of her aunt held
a hummingbird, its wings
were still, neither flitting
nor flying, merely sitting,
waiting for the right moment
to take flight once more.

Put your tongue away

and open your ears

its much easier 

to learn in this way.

No Wonder We're All Going Deaf

Sound clutters every moment of your life.
The shrill sound of the alarm clock
screams into action.
Warm feet patter along cold tile
a muted pressing of flesh.
In the shower water cascades
around you, caught in your own personal
downpour of ritual cleanliness.
The hairdryer blows its hot air at you,
it almost looks like a miniature jet turbine.
The kitchen is a symphony
as toast pops, bacon and eggs sizzle
on the skillet and orange juice
and milk pour easily into their glasses.
Your shoes play a rhythm
called a steady walk.
Doors slam shut,
keys jangle, engines
sputter then roar,
this is just the beginning.

Breaking Lines (Freewrite)

do we posses love
or does it posses us
do we find what we are searching for
or does it find us
is it possible to write
fully immersed in present thought
can we ignore distraction anymore
has our collective attention span
spent itself on minor distractions
do we prefer addition or subtraction
creation is much more difficult than destruction
can you write a poem
does it matter what it says
are you following a pattern of iambs
are you merely you or am i
just myself
isolate the lines
break apart the words
can you give volition
to language spread upon a page
do you run from thought to thought
mindlessly connecting them all
into a semblance of order
or is order arbitrary
what goes where and why
perceptions of time
could merely be that
is time a thing or just a construct
we can see it pass
but it can stretch itself
think or condense
down into a ball,
a fevered state
an illness
laying in bed you stare out the window
alone and wishing
for someone to come
but they don't
or do they
have you heard the doorbell ring
could it be a kind face
looking to extend a kinder hand
or is just a missionary
seeking to convert you from your heathen ways
we all want to be saved
but we don't want to be saved
from the same thing
its different it just is
why can't people just accept this
you can't win everyone
but you can fool more people
than you can imagine
is it sad
I don't know
don't think it is
but I could be wrong it could just
be my perspective
just keep typing
keep staring at the screen
be a good boy
be a good dog
just keep
plugging away keep slaving
keep toiling
keep breathing its just fine
tell yourself that
believe it
internalize it
its fine its just fine
there's nothing wrong
don't turn on the news
I don't think you'd like it very much
its just so so so so
nevermind
lets get on it with it
don't worry dear
just don't
look can you see the northern
lights burning the heavens wide
or is it just something
darker we can't explain
they burn
the heavens are on fire
watch the ground
for pieces of a flaming wreck

manicured elegance

Towering behemoths shadow the patio

as we sip on sweaty drinks.

Elegance can be as simple a thing

as a black dress flowing over you.


Desire has brought me to this place.

It would do more if you let it.

Illumination softens the red

of your lips, a slight smear


on the glass. You excuse

yourself for a moment,

my gaze fixes upon you,

a natural state of hypnosis.


When you return our

uttered words close the space

between us further and further

until it no longer remains.

Imposing Order

Time has discarded all the unnecessary trappings of the past.

Objectivity is overrated.

Declarative statements are great.

I can't stand the way I look when I cry.

Let's rush to judge, just once.

Concrete language never hurt anyone.

Fear boils down to one thing.

Physical sensations can lie.

Lets just be friends.

Blatantly contradict yourself.

Put some shorts on.

Its hot.

A new word for this.

An old word for that.

I have a meaning in mind.

Language as a useless construct.

Double think.

Sober up a few days before going on a bender.

Don't look for order.

Fill in the gaps.

The Queen of the City Knows What You Wish

From here to nowhere, where does we begin?
A flashing thought flickers, blood rushes through.
I can hear them say your beauty is sin,
do not listen, what do they know of you?

Beauty is Beauty, it never grows old.
Flesh shall whither, memory will remain.
Eternal goddess, you never grow cold.
Your divine image will always have reign.

Queen of the City, Queen of Fantasy,
velvet words fall like leaves in the forest.
Your graceful hand reigns by soft writ decree.
Footsteps, I can see the hem of your dress.

Wake up, wake up. I look and see no one.
A dream, a vision that has come and gone.

How To Not Seal The Deal

I type the image across the space

and juxtapose it against a frame of memory.

They will be a contrast to one another

as I interpolate a meaning between both.


They sit next to each other in white space

as I wonder where to go, what to further say.

More words appear, thoughts half-formed,

development marred by immaturity.


Music will echo in place of words, uneasy

breaks, enjambments that have nothing

to do with homemade preservatives,

much to everyones dismay.


The cursor blinks knowingly, unsurprised

by any of this. What a job that must be.

Predictability of the muse is only in her

instability and our inability to finish the

What is it to find yourself here?

To find yourself in this place and not anywhere else?

Location as a reflection.
______

There are some thoughts you cannot bear to let go.

I know what I wish to say

I know what I want you to read

I know what I want to type

but I'll refrain

I'll refrain and keep this to myself.

Do Not

Don't write a love poem,

definitely don't write a poem about an infatuation.


Don't write a poem about someone you didn't expect to see.


Don't write a poem about her beautiful dress

no matter how well it looked on her.


Don't write a poem about a clever line she wrote,

even if it was perfectly brilliant.


Don't write about the moment she touched your shoulder.


Don't write about her saying she hopes

we can see each other next week.


Don't write a poem where you say

that you drove in silence all the way home,

thinking only of her.


Don't write about her embrace.


Don't write about that look in her eyes.


Don't write about her beauty.


Don't write about how much you want

to keep hearing that voice.


Don't be a fool.


Don't go to bed still thinking of her.


Don't fall in love.


Don't, or do,

it's all up to you.

the end of romance

thrown up by the sea, he rested on the shore.

death had placed her disfiguring hand upon his face,

a noble mind drowned.

what could Byron say?

alas, farewell.

Our modern means of communication
is making it easier for us to create newspeak.

finding everything


needing no one


finding no one


needing everything

Save Me From What I Want

Save me from love.

Save me from intelligence.

Save me from good conversation.

Save me from beautiful women.

Save me from money.

Save me from success.

Save me from comfort.

Save me from reason.

Save me from a fuel efficient car.

Save me from personal achievement.

Save me from academia.

Save me from the perfect line.

Save me from records.

Save me from catharsis.

Save me from rock and roll.

Save me from friendship.

Save me from good sex.

Save me from peace of mind.

Save me from quiet nights.

Save me from lust.

Save me from professional renown.

Save me from warm beds.

Save me from good hugs.

Save me from passionate kisses.

Save me from family.

Save me from good beer.

Save me from dancing.

Save me from good books.

Save me from poetry.

Save me from heavenly voices.

Save me from travel.

Save me from passion.

Save me from the opposite sex.

Save me from comfortable chairs.

Save me from laughter.

Save me from charm.

Save me from clever wit.

Save me from inspiration.

Save me from an audience.

Save me from you.

A Concise Philosophy on Writing/Art

It doesn't matter if it's good,


is it honest?

Other Selves

Write about sleep before you go to bed

it will bring about an easier rest.


In your dreams keep silent,

watch with precise intent.


Some think dreams are entry points

to parallel lives we lead in other worlds.


Would our other selves recognize

their faces when we look in the mirror?


Twisting in sheets, tangled thoughts

flail like limbs.


We wake to our world

and always expect another.