Self Defense

Hiatus

took a hiatus
the side pocket is where it was slowly inserted 
placed in its holster with safety clip checked
could be innocent children or poets nearby
smile
you can approach me now
no Clint Eastwood squint
I can see clearly 
can think clearly 
my pen 
is now safely in its holster
letting it smolder for a few minutes
the room cleared 
dancehall
now a room where poets gather in rowdy celebration
inebriated
overflowing frothy mugs filled with verbs
adjectives
pronouns shot into the ceiling
and we sat in our wooden chairs
whooping and hollering
careful not call out wayward poets to meet in the dusty road at high noon
a poetic showdown
we all know that a drunken pen can be the most deadliest instrument
widows weeping above poetic graveyards over the hill
and my pen
was safel...

Apocalypse (Haiku Afterlife)

morning cup of joe
apocalypse is over
he did the right thing

and on the third day
the clouds parted from the skies
her name is Harris

a thief in the night
soul of the nation is saved
joy in the morning

almost November
world will do the holy dance
the joy bells will ring

the mark of the beast
says so in revelations
wearing a red hat

six headed serpent
the second set is over
but we serve third set

wolf dressed as a chef
grilled lamb chops on the menu
they still will follow

new Monopoly 
she changed the rules of the game
damned glad about it

much reminiscing
women not allowed to vote
that was yesterday

message to these men
she can make her own choices
mind your damn business

Sometimes, I Prune

sometimes
I prune
things that were once 
live
vibrant
once having meaning and value
got sick and died along the way
before succumbing
reached out their infested limbs to
infect other well-meaning branches
live
currently having meaning
value
purpose

sometimes
I prune
before the sickness turns my green into a sad 
morbid yellow
then
a blackness of death
spreading branch to branch
and eventually
killing the entire tree
which was once vibrant
meaningful
full of purpose
which is the end of me

sometimes
I prune
but before I do
every attempt is made to revive
to survive its sickness
maybe remove a leaf
here or there
I owe it that
because it once had meaning
purpose
once a part of the big picture
part of the trunk<...

I Would (An Anniversary Thing...)

I would
take the same path I once took in younger years
scattered
littered with thorns
gravel
broken glass
boulders
small stones
slowly working my way through the labyrinth
feeling my way through the dead ends
until I found the right path
the exit
at the end
would find you there
waiting for me

I would
give up my simple minded vacation plans
just a day of fighting traffic to get to the Jersey shore
hardly a day of relaxation
to pack and plan a year in advance
fly through the friendly 
cloudless skies
landing next to a cruise ship port
next stop
sun
sand
sangria
to my adopted home of Jamaica
among other tasty
Caribbean destinations

I would
stand by your side again and again
tears and/or rain clouding our vision
together
sending loved ones ba...

The Pen Has Super Powers

poetry page one
I'm reporting what I see
poetic Clark Kent

Sloe Gin Fizz

Teddy Pendergrass
close the door and lights turned off
how prom night ended

Preacher's Kid Blues

heading the call and
we snuck out of Sunday School
parents in nine months

Ready In Five Minutes

once was hard pasta
she cooked and turned me into
warm Chef Boyardee

Pallet

she is a rainbow
Really loves the color blue
but ain't got the blues

The Rich White Men News Report (This Ain't CNN)

they will all read this aloud
gun sounds
repeating rounds
mass bolting from the starting blocks
tanking of financial stocks
the race to the NY Times
prime time booking
plugging their lamps into every conservative news outlet
everyone looking
until their midnight light shines over every Gotham City
my god
even Batman thinks it pretty

then comes the screams
how can I write this piece of slanderous diatribe?
I am such a verminous scribe
delete this from every textbook in school with the quickness
do not infect our vulnerable young with this sickness
remembering old Hollywood movie times taking liberty with every script
the truth never really matters
as long as the ticket sales are strong
opening night comes with limousines
lean
black and long

pretty stars and red velvet ropes and carpet
jewelry
...