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For My Birthdays
I was barely there, Passed out and now Unable to recall anything, The screaming, hers Or mine, the blood, And the light, which was either A beautiful moon or A terrible eye, the first one Having a look at me. What a terrible party it must have been, I’m glad I missed most of it,…
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A Helpful Reminder
Never leave a drink unattended, Because drinks are like people, They can get lonely, Especially around this time of year All they want is to find someone And make them happy, listen To their problems and promise With a bitter kiss, to make them go away. Pause and look at that glass, So full and…
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A Poet’s Prayer
If these verses be not great, Let them be better Than all I have written before And all that anyone else is writing. Give me the strength to change All that cannot be mine Into my greatest inspiration, Let me find victory in my defeat, Words to cover up reality’s bad patches With all the…
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The Waters Called
The first ring, And they stand still, Could it be for them? The first ring Brings eyes to them, They want the attention The first ring Brings eyes on them, They recoil at the stares The second ring And they look back Look around The second ring They begin to suspect There is a message…
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A History of Violence
As you shake your head, He jumps across a stretcher In a bombed out home, Violence, Violence, Everything is violence Cries the teacher. Armies come and go and wander in between Finding cities to sack Women to rape Children to enslave Blood to spill again and again When does it end you ask? He laughs,…
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The Lazarus Phenomenon
One shave and you’re Back in the world, Two blades rub Against your face In a metallic imitation Of the kiss you miss, Luckily it’s all electric, Your hand trembles too much To hold a naked razor Against your jugular. Now you’re the gardener again, Taking care of yourself, She would be proud, only If…
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My Friend Bill
I let him mourn too long, It was my mistake, I thought I would be generous, Understanding, forgiving, Be not letting him forget so easily. They all told him To move on and find another I felt I was the only one Who understood, That there would be no other Like her, for him. So…
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The Poet in Exile
You can take the poet out of the city certainly. But can you take the city out of the poet? I suppose I will soon find out. This week I left New York City after living there for five years. First I was a college student, and then I was on my own, trying to…
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Still Life on Table
An empty bottle That’s a quarter full, With a half eaten pie And scissors that can pull, Sit on the table with me Outside while I’m alone, Where I sit and ponder, To catch the night and groan.
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So Tired
I’m so tired, so tired, so tired, He took the light out of my life, She took the wind out of my sails, He sold my dreams by the dozen, She broke my heart in two, He mocked me in silent praise, She threw my years away. And They, what did They do? They did…