Celebrating a Year

pieces of the puzzle
scattered now forever
drift beyond meaningful

responding to the pull
of my heart I sever
pieces of the puzzle
to fight would be futile

as I watch another
drift beyond meaningful
existence while chattel
I can’t reconfigure
pieces of the puzzle
that aren’t mine but equal
parts without an answer
drift beyond meaningful

love has paid the devil
far too much and bitter
pieces of the puzzle
drift beyond meaningful

shred the social safety nets
we cannot afford fairness
this is as good as it gets

for the future don’t make bets
poverty powerlessness
shred the social safety nets

any lingering regrets
are pointless though it’s a mess
this is as good as it gets

what ill mechanism lets
governments pleading blameless
shred the social safety nets

as the rich hide their assets
pretending with false distress
this is as good as it gets

and our silence aids abets
while willful lies egregious
shred the social safety nets

is this as good as it gets

inspired by a post from my friend Jamie’s blog, called “Mindful Steps to End Hunger“.

a querulous quatrain
or sarcastic sonnet
with rambunctious refrain
isn’t meant to cause pain
but perhaps to upset

a querulous quatrain
though it tries to maintain
anonymity yet
with rambunctious refrain
implies more don’t explain
it and they won’t forget

a querulous quatrain
punching holes in some vain
immortality set
with rambunctious refrain
cheerfully douses plain
truth with rueful regret
a querulous quatrain
with rambunctious refrain

despite all your life entails
gaze in wonder at the day
detach the painful details

as a well-laid plan derails
best intentions go astray
despite all your life entails

there are times when reason fails
and you’ll surely lose your way
detach the painful details

just a light breeze in the sails
can blow obstacles away
despite all your life entails

laugh out loud and trouble pales
deny fate’s errant array
detach the painful details

ingenuity seldom fails
rearrange the board and play
despite all your life entails
detach the painful details

not over it but through
she’s patching up her heart
so many things to do

when even superglue
can’t mend what’s torn apart
not over it but through

perhaps she’s coming to
the feeling better part
so many things to do

she shreds his last adieu
lays plans for her fresh start
not over it but through

enough for her to strew
rose petals and depart
so many things to do

and nothing is taboo
when everything is art
not over it but through
so many things to do

for J.

we’re waiting
truth torn but
still trying

with nothing
the doors shut
we’re waiting

while lying
fear’s zealot
still trying

sells hating
death’s vile smut
we’re waiting

and hoping
but for what
still trying

as we sing
dreams uncut
we’re waiting
still trying

the devil herding chaos
and trouble down a long road
straight into a double-cross
but it won’t be a big loss
it’s only truth he’s lassoed

the devil herding chaos
still I’m guessing it’s a toss
up if he’s hauling payload
straight into a double-cross
who’s in charge here be the boss
and make this nightmare implode

the devil herding chaos
when the sacred’s turned to dross
and there’s no one left to goad
straight into a double-cross
no sympathetic ethos
we know how long we’ve been owed

the devil herding chaos
straight into a double-cross

we make ourselves up in the grey
silence of a dream before the
morning alone to start the day

the sun rises and who can say
what lies beyond sleep as blindly
we make ourselves up in the grey
matter of our unconscious they
will have to wait until we see
morning alone to start the day

light streams through our eyelids we stay
a moment more then finally
we make ourselves up in the grey
nothingness of a promise weigh
-ing our chances we greet every
morning alone to start the day

learning to accept the bouquet
of all we could possibly be
we make ourselves up in the grey
morning alone to start the day

learning to bend
hard as it sounds
starting to mend
good wishes penned
good luck abounds

learning to bend
there’ll be an end
to what confounds
starting to mend
though I contend
with smaller bounds

learning to bend
the rules amend
I go the rounds
starting to mend
it’s not pretend
science astounds

learning to bend
starting to mend

they say live and let live
if there’s a time to hate
there is time to forgive

the past holds truth captive
a frustrating stalemate
they say live and let live
happiness will outlive
betrayal that’s your fate
there is time to forgive

searching for a motive
will just exasperate
they say live and let live
villains move on passiv-
ly their words self-castrate
there is time to forgive

my future’s persuasive
the new path now innate
they say live and let live
there is time to forgive