Conflict

Shadows     Even the wind was somehow hot and thick that June evening. Standing in front of the old bowling alley, my favorite old dirty Misfits t-shirt glued to my back with sweat, the oppressive night air seemed to somehow diminish all thought and reasoning, almost as if these record high temperatures were melting my brain. Finally, after enduring this for hours, I decided that I’d had enough and was going to do something...

The year they took our pennies away I watched goodness die In an Ice storm. It blew across the country, Spurred on by frozen hearts.   In the year they took our luck away, So that they could nickel and dime us To death, The ones who warn us against hell Unleashed it in our cities.   In the year that Abe Lincoln Went out of circulation, He was replaced By a lily-white frost That...

I couldn’t see the snakes. When they came at night, Puffing and hissing around my bed. I slept on the ground Without a light Other than the stars. Glowing softly over my head. Beauty above. Death below. To sleep was an act of faith. Closing your eyes When well you know That fangs are coming. And sooner or later, you have to pee, Wearing chains.     Such a life does something to you. It...

A thorn in my side My brittle thoughts Weighing me down Drowning me out   Bury my fears Until moss hides them away

Crunchy Pudding             “I’m so damned hungry.” I mutter to myself which makes me smile just a little bit. Momma used to always ask me why I had conversations with myself. To which I would always smirk and reply “If I want an intelligent answer to my question, why not ask a genius?” I have always been sort of full of myself, even at a young age. Somehow, I could take a problem and create...

The Devil Wins My Tears Once Again   You speak but your eyes tell the truth Deceit and lies spew forth from your mouth Hidden behind the walls of complements Forever speaking but never honestly My pain wells up behind a mask of caring My tears held back for none to see I silently carry the burden of Love Craving only Truth and Honesty from my partner in life I starve for Love’s sweet embrace...

You sleep like a feather Slipping silently  From the nest of a dove Over a river at night Just one note from a  Muffled song Even just a slight breath of air And there you are Drifting down To the icy water Wide awake   Me? I sleep like a brick Like shoes made of concrete Encased in the mud Beneath the bridge Beneath the fishes A mouth full of gravity I sleep on borrowed...

A poet walks in and pours himself all over the bar. He looks at every patron near and far. Word after word he brings to bear. Yet not even a single person really seems to care. Yet he refuses to stop and recites some old lyrics. But it is almost as if the patrons can’t hear it. He decides to give a few limericks a chance. But some grumpy old man just spits chaw on...

Sitting inside a dark room, Lighting home-made candles for light. Igniting up a roaring fireplace, Using old papers and wood we found last night. Not for smores or happiness, But for solely warmth alone. Blankets piled on top of blankets, Simply to quiet stifling cold stone. Reading by the fire, Or by using the moonlight. Darkness and the frigid cold, Were my only friends at night. We got the big food stamp box, It’s like...

Anger is the wall I hide behind when I am wounded Silence is the healing balm as I pull out the arrows one by one Solitude is my comfort.   The wall begins to crumble as I heal My heart is finding words when I regain my sense of worth Forgiveness is my peace