Faces in the waves

Faces in the foam
falling off the crest of the wave
old forgotten bodies
that want to know your name
Arms in the spray
tumbling down the water
dismembered endings
with memories of their daughters
Words in the current
Drifting in off the wind
hateful little numbers
they want you to get in.
“Please,” they beg.
“Please get in and swim.”

There’s a storm cloud hanging low over the horizon

Off to the east, there’s a black spot
Where there used to be a sun
It covers the horizon
A giant airborne cancer
Don’t think
Just run
We have to leave right now
Grab the kids and the dog
The wind is blowing and the light is dying
Don’t think
Just run
We can’t stop to rest now
Safety may not be in reach
The rain is making [...]

The empty space behind the eyes.

(verse 1)
Move the lights down
Move the lights down now
We don’t wanna see too far tonight
Turn the bass up
Turn the bass up now
We don’t wanna hear outside tonight
Bring the beat back
Bring the beat back now
We’re gonna dance till we fly tonight
(Pre-chorus)
Take the count
and multiply by four
All of that doubt
Isn’t there anymore
It was all replaced
By an empty [...]

Midnight below the Mason Dixon line.

12:30 a.m.
76 degrees with low humidity
June 13th 1954
Everything is going well
For our midnight drive
1:45 a.m.
We’re taking the back-roads tonight
Patsy’s on the radio
The lightning bugs are almost more than the headlights
The crickets, almost louder than the engine
The wind is sweet and cool
For our midnight drive
2:30 a.m.
On a turn in near the swamps
The headlights go off
The moon [...]

Free verse

THE CASTLE
Every day, the young boy awoke and stared
At the castle on the horizon
He would watch as the sun arose behind it
And slowly lit up the old gray stones
He would dream of traveling
To the castle on the horizon
He would watch as midday passed
And the birds flew around the parapets
He would think of all the majesty
In [...]

Sonnets

THE NEED TO SING
Conducted with bones on rotting tombstones
Death has a melody in A minor
Sung by a choir with dirt for a home
It pulls and beckons with hints of Wagner
They sing of long sleep; eternal nightfall
The words imply the need to be absolved
Notes climb to the third, C major recalled
Their voices entice and the chords [...]

Ballads

HOW DO I FEEL?
Tuesday night at the bar in town
And I am feeling fine
In seas of wine I hope to swim
It’s only half past nine
Wednesday morning on my couch
and I am feeling good
With a mountain of cocaine
To make me understood
Thursday night at the local church
and I am feeling great
Just me and the lord and my [...]

Haikus

Home and death
Everyone goes on
The same direction you see
Home and death await
make money and die
Make money and die
There has to be more than that
But we’ll never know

Weaponized words

GUN
I point the barrel of my gun
between your left, right and third eyes
your soul retracts in horror
I pull the trigger of my gun
the bullet shatters your mind
your body falls limp, you die
NOOSE
I place the loop of my noose
around your throat, spine, and energy line
your lungs breathe deep in vain
I pull the loop of my noose
the [...]