Published By Dive Ink Books
What is this soup bowl full of beauty
Featuring a fabulous fungus
Doing so much more than its duty?
Cousin alphabet is smarter, sure
But this tastes like strong warmed-up wonder
Offering some strange mystical cure
So we can most certainly assume
Whatever menu spot it's under
There will always be room for mushroom!
1
A vision by the window appears quite bright
A ghostly glow of yellow and white
It is of a young thick-haired man in an ancient robe
But our hero only continues to stroke
His computer keys when boredom outlasts
Suicide on the flat and fizzled future map
Years later the window vision will change a bit
And it will be that of a wrinkled old git,
Chewing what seems to be tobacco or gum
Soon after that our hero will manage to become
Very similar in appearance to this strange vision
In fact it will be a spitting image
But for now he looks contentedly at his girlfriend
Who is passed out serenely on the bed
And he smiles at her beauty, quite impressed
Getting right down to it, we are at best
Just soft furry life forms
Trying to stay warm
2
Oh, would that I could praise
Your beauty that makes all men weak
But I'm sadly now much too afraid
To compliment your allure or physique
Since politics in language today
Makes its forceful demands
I should take care in every way
When putting pen in shaking hand
I therefore must not endeavor to rave
About what you have to offer, my dear
In fact I find it would be most safe
To simply stop my poem right here
3
People sardined by the thousands, what a throng
Lines for food, drink, stuck in standing marathons
The salt-drained bodies sweat, gasp and fall
Early casualties mean the concert wasn't seen by all
Electric feedback of raunchy rhythm and rowdy rock
Clusters of close listeners trying to get speaker shock
Patented multi-colored smoke for every drunken ass
Guitar-throwing medleys for the mesmerized fans
Murder songs and manufactured mayhem routines
Punctuate the all too familiar scene
On the way out the kiddies stream past the cops and stop lights
Flooding nearby cities and valleys, tired but silly and high as kites
The people who did the biggest work are given little notice, though
It's the poor cleanup crew that has to scrape, shovel and hoe
Through the mountains of defiled pop cans and pop corn
They'll never be mentioned in the rock reviews come next morn
Although most of them can play a pretty mean broom, son
But aftermaths don't sell tickets, they can only boast the stubs
4
Here's what the aliens say -
Those cold sprites of the night
Who always have their way -
"Don't wake up, don't wake up"
Waiting at the foot of your bed
Or in your hall, with small
Tracking implants for your head -
"Don't wake up, don't wake up"
Abductors won't cramp your style -
Relax, forget their acts
Takes just a little while
"Don't wake up, don't wake up"
You'll go further than the moon
Hurry, without worry
Soul due back in body soon -
"Don't wake up, don't wake up"
5
Enough already, with the too cute tiger toons
With their harmless rubber claws
Gentle as a summer afternoon
Showing off their leering lantern jaws
Sharks with stripes is what they really are
Eating machines - wild, fast and strong
In Africa, those animation images don't go too far
10 million dead tribesmen can't be wrong
6
I see no programs planned
Involving human need
I'd write my Congressman
If he knew how to read
7
Make-out sessions in that hot old wreck
Those days we still cruised by our dreams
Since somehow things always stayed in check
The brakes worked much too well, it seems
We thought it best that we keep our cool
Swerving out of love's way, back then
Later just wasting our precious fuel
On some far worse cars, in the end
8
Don't take 1A, you see
Because you'll forget it after taking 1B
Don't write what you know, as such
Because you don't know all that much
Don't write what you feel, of late
Because we don't care who you date
Don't write from experience, to get tighter
Because if you had enough, you'd know not to be a writer
9
What sinister force
Had shrunk the old
Mystery novel even
Smaller than a novelette?
My eyes held the answer
It all started at the very top
Of the old book's first page
When I saw what was left of it
Now only a poem of its former self
I knew who it was that had done this
In the desperate dark night heat bad city
Blondes around danger dust cars guns greed
In the numbing noise of the moment I could hear
Just the occasional time-honored mutters in the gutter
And a few unoriginal mumblings and awkward fumblings
Followed by complaints of rising costs of paper and ink
It was an old sorry sob story
Shrinking fast by the line
Until thankfully it was
Suddenly cut short
10
First time at the Golden Gate
In the '90s, much too late
I'd missed all the '60s biggies
Speaking out, flipping their wiggies
But were they all great gurus?
Well, at least their lines rang true
And could be read between just fine
Which makes any hill worth the climb
11
Heard Van the man Morrison again
Still spinning out his mystic mood music
Since the days of mellow hippie zen
When the blues went pop in white soul fusion
Makes us recall the old neighborhoods,
This wild Irish bard, priestly performer
Bringing back with him the real goods
Nostalgia wrapped in rhythm feels warmer
Enjoy the moment with love and hope,
His songs say, impossible to ignore
Wasn't fooled to early death by dope
Yes, very sweet to hear from Van once more
12
As for this century, WW Won hit around 1915
About 25 years later, WW Too hit around 1940
About 25 years later, Nam Spam hit around 1965
About 25 years later, Operation Desert Oil hit around 1990
About 25 years later, a new one will hit around 2015
As for this trend, someone sure hates silver anniversaries!
13
As graduates of the school of sappy sweetness
You've been taught that love is the completeness
Of hearts of pink, moons of yellow, clovers of green
Topped with a very special magically delicious sheen
Yes, a nice big bunch of lucky cherry charm power
Which never gets too soggy, even hour after hour
Makes one immune to all bad luck and every evil lie
Now don't run out of sugar, and you'll maintain that high
14
You're supposed to: "Lead, follow or get out of the way" -
That's what war monger kings to their generals say
But their agenda of hate will crumble like clay
Those losers and their lackies - they're in the world's way!
15
You might just be in a pickle
Because here comes Mr. Tickle
To the nearest small set of ribs
He'll send his squirmimg fingertips!
16
Now, stop thinking about your mind, momentarily, Mr. Bind
As my patient, I'll give you the word "memory" to deal with for me
Now you have the floor, to be clear - you can take it from here!
Well, doctor - that's fine what I heard, as that topic word
Points me to the story of Mr. Squareo, over 60 years ago
Who primped and fussed with his tie and cuffs,
Cleaned and combed himself wet like a little pet
Took himself out for walks, sniffed lawns and rocks
And he very rarely lied, up until the day he died
17
Not too thin but fairly slim
Honeyknees is gone after being zapped
She was no match for that traffic mishap
Made her brief landmarks in the soft blanket nights
When there was a honey taste to her knees
Her laugh was birds flying out of the trees
She's missing all the latest social changes
But little difference to her does it make
That while she sleeps the world is awake
18
What's the difference 'tween dis and dat?
A careful choice of words
What's the difference 'tween dees and dem?
A careful choice of words
Well, somebody hadda explain it, right?
So now you can be one choice human bein'
19
A little person, a pale, thin clown
Would get her medicine and drink it down
I don't feel good today, she said
Just like yesterday, I'll stay in bed
She grew up sneezing
And constantly wheezing
But for such a tiny tot
She did not complain a lot
Then a day came when she could throw out every pill
For in her heart she felt a different ill
Her cure now was romance, you see
So the strong beauty commanded - give it to me
20
Checkered chumps encumbered
With their last days well-numbered
Full of vaudeville venom, unfunny twits
Laughing at themselves, too greedy to quit
Chuckles and giggles from the past
Were much more than enough to last
From the films of these tired men of gags
Mouthing old jokes while wearing their pants like bags
Did you hear the one about
Stop me if you've
Guys walks into
But
The traveling salesman
Heard this before
A psychiatrist's office
Seriously, folks
21
Waggy Jaggy, Waggy Jaggy
Are you still in love with Maggie?
Waggy Jaggy, Waggy Jaggy
Or have you gone too saggy?
Waggy Jaggy, Waggy Jaggy
You say life is such a draggy
Waggy Jaggy, Waggy Jaggy
Your pants are just too baggy
Waggy Jaggy, Waggy Jaggy
You're waving some old flaggy
Waggy Jaggy, Waggy Jaggy
But your name sounds much too gaggy
22
We don't want to know
From where the wind blows
Your old family tree leaves
We don't want to hear
Why you must appear
Thinking only noise relieves
We don't really care
For your here or there
Or why your kind sits and grieves
We don't want to speak
To further the streak
Of voicing your false pet peeves
23
She finally left him after he went insane
He'd gone and dipped her clothes in wood stain
And soaked her hair with lemon polish spray
She hated to sound like a square in any way
But she was very sure
That somehow he had to learn
How to stop treating her
Like a piece of furniture
24
Amidst a blast it came at last
A cool morning warning
With sunlight's past seen fast
The loud rain knocking
We heard death talking
Of the wind and the wet and our night's end
He crept up on us but was too loud
We kept warm inside our clouds
After dark he slipped away
I had to hear your song next day
You spoke, I spoke
You wrote, I wrote
So I'm left behind to hear you, mind
The sun won't find us, just we two
That is, until I'm through with you
There's nothing left to say or rain
Let's play the last games that remain
But play them well, what the hell
25
For the hundredth time I fell asleep
During another late show on TV
Starring the late John Doe
Co-starring the late Jane Doe
They were already in progress, cursing their fates
By the time I awoke to join them much too late
I knew most of the actors were dead by then
Since I'd fallen asleep
Z
Z-Z
Z-Z-Z
And missed their endings again
26
No one will ever again unite against a
Common enemy
That is because there no longer are any
Common enemies
The last World War Oil scenario
Was strictly a one-shot deal that fizzled,
Only made possible through a very rare
Alignment of the political power planets that be
But now we are all merely equal opportunity haters
Each special interest group breaking off and splintering
Into endless new thinly disguised fear factions
Living in dire disdain of each other
So beware, criminal leaders of all countries
Do not rely upon anyone to bail you out anymore
Lately your only enemy has been technology, anyway
And that too has become anything but common
27
Deadlines met for
Headlines over
Childhood photos
In the local
Sheet's personals:
WATCH THE BIRDIE! Look who's 30!
LORDY, LORDY! Look who's 40!
HEY, THAT'S NIFTY! Look who's 50!
AIN'T WHISTLIN' DIXIE! Look who's 60!
OH, MY HEAD! Look who's... deadlines
28
Pick up the thread of a plot
The needle needles our thoughts
Sew things up nice and neat
The patterns pattern our dreams
Spin us a fantastic yarn
The loom looms large
Weave us a tale that sings
The colors color our wings
29
Her fingers pressed tight
While shaping more soft clay
Gonna make it right
By the end of the day
The wheel teeters 'round
At exactly her speed
Makes a grinding sound
Just what mommy's ears need
She'll paint on its coat
When it's cooked nice and warm
Send it out - it's sold
She cries for each pot born
30
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