all that we could ever be

thirty days has september

the troubling case

of harvey leroy atwater

whose name is known by ones and zeros

that take so much

of my attention home

two tens

            twenty

seems like long time

but hate can climb

            and rove can row

the worst can grow

   and it has grown

it took the pride

of the ones who really know

but aren’t afraid to go

across the line

                          full blown

the drone didn’t know

but lee found out the truth

or   a truth

he was a witch-doctor a sleuth

suffered from hard luck and misuse

but dave baerwald told me the news

how he hoped that there is a god

that punishes

severely

now that must have scared the shit out of lee

so he tried to make a bit amend

for the liars club   all his friends

dining out on hate and blame

calling good men out by name

‘perceptifying’ reality

unbeknownst to the ones in need

but not the ones confused by greed

the hired help was all that he

       all that we

                  could ever be

     

what will you do

watch immortal

see the eyes want a better place

be better people

if it does not noble you

it fails you

extinction is your option

unless you evolve

unless you resolve

take this

         devoid of hatred

the time is now

you are now

what can you do what should you do

                 what will you do

pretty girls play the clarinet

she was someone that i used to know

a smile so familiar

seen a hundred times

the nervous laugh was gone though

and

she was old enough to

look like another someone that i knew

the flutist

from alden

with freckles

with child

it took a minute to click we stared

not a lovers stare

not a strangers stare

there was something in there

something in between

kind

but lean

and it was difficult to say who got there first

i think it was me

she thinks it was her

                          still

she may be the exception

to the townes rule

that yellow headed women

bring nothing but pain

if i have to explain

if you think that thin air

brings fame

you might have not been listening

                                                                but

she never caused me any pain

all she ever did

was be the refrain

and i did things

to see the smile 
      time and again

it was a crush

i’m sure

deft          and           demure

she liked to show me to her sister

who never understood

but once got the laugh meant for smiley

meant for good

and that day cemented

what could never be heard

because the light eyes

and the real smiles

didn’t need the words

the whole reason to cross allen street is gone

back then

back when there was still a reason to cross allen street

                                            back before berlin

 when she was red bone

 from buffalo       

when she was h i g h yellow            

when it was  ‘if you’re not a staylow then you gotta go home

 and that means you too jared leto’

back then

        one night

                 one little night

i heard a man

        one man

                 a book man

the man from the book store

he was stammering  stomping like he was coming straight outtacompton

       

          spitting and bloodletting

relentless

the first word came first

it came right on the first stomp

it exploded

he said ‘participatory’

yeah  he said ‘participatory’

and then he said it again

and again

and again

until it rocked with an uneven white boy rhythm that took its cue

from when the stomp came down

and that alone

                                   he said it again               and again

‘participatory participatory participatory

participatory participatory participatory

democracy democracy democracy’

yeahyeahyeah

he said

‘participatory participatory

democracy democracy

participatory participatory

democracy democracy’

then some of us started saying it

        and then more of us started saying it

then it was back and forth

‘participatory’

                    ‘democracy’

        ‘participatory’

                                            ‘democracy’

                

the man  said

‘participatory’

listen to this poem

addiction stands alone

in favor of the behavior

first alone

then afraid

seems so far away

how old was i

         how bold was i

saving all that turn around love

for someone not welcome

who only loves

the needle high

full of saline

and       salience

racing embracing reticence

         reverence

karma and

         coincidence

more cocaine can temporarily

remedy

         the situation

the conflagration

uncontrollable addiction

affliction

the choice disease

of sons

and daughters

mothers and fathers

hooked on heroin

low taxes and ice-water

tactics can deflect impact

create impasse

understand

how to make glass

in little towns

leaves brown

shade controlled

by small amounts of

doomsdayers

and big money players

who don’t believe a word

they say

just throw that shit out there

to get in your way

to move some cash

over and back

til they got it all

and a heart attack

this fall

we have to find out

if you know

if it shows

which way the wind blows the staylows

catastrophic circumstances

not little ones

this drinkin’s killing me

i need the help

but i still drink from the top shelf

funny thing is

i ended up being addicted

to propane

and recidivism

three months at the minimum

addiction stands alone

ignoring the stigma

                     the leprosy and

libby zion