there is no sitting still

an injury that did not result in death

well

not the type of death that you mean

the shifting landscape of a sad song

of someone listening

a phone call

nighttime wishing

you are either moving toward

or away from the change

standing still standing in sand

you are still moving

it is still moving

the earth is still moving

there is no sitting still

there’s no nine-nine

no west of fields

no more seven chinese brothers

pure tenor quality

the voice of harold montgomery

no more pretending

that the words mean anything

or are well chosen

well guarded

well meaning

nobody is winning

nobody is winning

there is nosuchthing

which does not mean

there is no right or wrong

you can sing the song

it’s not a question of can or can’t

it’s do or don’t

didn’t you know

i am an impatient man

prefer cake to pie

truth to light

inside to insight

with actual tigers

and intricate daydream designs

in the last of the graylight

last of the wine

summer flower dresses

that let in the light

a  joy shared is twice a joy

a sorrow shared is half a sorrow

true today true tomorrow

mine’s day

minion’s day

until the day

in the mines eye of carmelita

the song of chicharita

rose of the desert

the deportees

the depression is not significant

watching the light die

 listening to dogs fight

just north   of the good side

                                 of those tracks

where the cops walk fast

                                                   when they pass

you can see the station from here

                     if that lightens your fear

       or straightens her hair

                    when the first snow comes

stir            son

don’t have enough to pay the rent

                but the depression is not         significant

           ask her man      she’ll tell you that

we’ll wait for it

         want to know you haven’t ignored it

     her eyes say something like   hypocrite

                                or    predator

              they don’t say editor

and they damn sure ain’t keeping score

you can count

      one to four

      add it up

if you must

             the birds are singing

so it’s time to go to sleep

take the crosses from your hands

            and lay them at my feet

everything that you borrowed

            every little bit i stole

if the fan makes wind

            then time’s been told

when shaky strangers tell me things

the stupid mustache was a test

but   was it for me

                or for them

reaction was preferred

the honest or the polite

   the careful tweeners

who took a long time

                               to stare

trying to figure out

how much they thought   i’d care

if they told   the truth

whatever that is

preksha laughed

 in that way

the one that says

  what are you doing

 then she said ‘what are you doing’

in the parking lot at bill’s new place

    still spent most of her time

staring

     at me

then i almost said the right thing

george said it was nice to meet me

even though i’ve been twice to his home

and heard his laugh

             big and fat

over the whole of his backyard

    

norman only saw a picture

until late on wednesday evening

before the day he was leaving

which was two days before i was leaving

and neither of us had packed a thing

at least most of my clothes

 were clean

when we met at the place we always met

and the meal was quick

we were done with it

but smiles

    were wide

and even if i couldn’t feel them

all the way inside

the girls still said ‘hi’

like they want you to

    stay

or to come back

 again

some other day

    the ponytail let loose a laugh

the ponytail always laughs

at me

      it seems

but that’s a large part

of himandme

     what i’m looking for

better best to

be ignored

jjb gave two thumbs up

for keeping it til chicago

            even though he couldn’t wouldn’t or shouldn’t  go

    his support was known

which was about as much as could be expected

 since some things changed

waters said it was cowboy-ish

            i said

you’re  cowboy-ish

                   she neglected to reply

but i sensed no conflict

jarral took it all in stride

she did that

 most of the time

  and if cool is a lion

that girl is a pride

we need to get her back

stateside

                        aight
        aight

her friend rj had the curly hair

but she pulled me straight

 by the ear

on hiphop night

in the old neighborhood

where the sweet keeley was last seen

at broken midnight

when the big man

sulked enough

to get it stolen

with housecat hiss

of touch and wah

          a liar’s bliss

he wallowed

in

        it

and this says nothing of

        maccallister

who waited til she knew

then let both barrels go

my dream is still that she’ll whisper

‘close the door

    and tell me secrets

that aren’t true

           anymore’

still   curious looks were

preferable to invisibility

which    if actual

would have been useful

but

in reality

only served to underscore

          the very fear i can’t ignore

that there’s no such thing as the hooker oak tree

         and happiness is just a dream

when shaky strangers tell me things

Drawing by Woody Guthrie