Candle Flame

the truck’s engine is cold
and the moon’s behind a cloud
and you know if you use that shotgun it’s gonna be way too loud

the trees are bending over
and the clouds are filled with rain
the sky is covered in bruises it’s like you can feel God’s pain

and the lightning strikes beside you
like an angry God searching for vengeance
and you run like a deer in your panic not knowing what else to do

you see that the barn door is open
each time the lightning lights the sky
and you know that earlier you had closed it and you wonder who the hell might be inside

the storm presses closer…
ain’t no way you’re going out there…
but you can’t tear yourself from the window… looking into the lightning’s glare…

and the lightning strikes even closer
you feel like your heart’s about to burst
and you know that God must be dying and vomiting down upon the earth

and nobody’s talking
nobody’s acting right
nobody looks you straight in the eye when they talk about last night

and the blood filled the valley
like a harvest moon’s high tide
it covered up people’s doorsteps while the people dreamed fitfully inside

when the darkness falls like a blanket
and the cold wind is whispering your name
make sure that you lock up all your windows… keep the wind from your candle flame

Brand New Heart

I’m gonna take the sharpest knife I have
and cut my little bloody red heart in half
I’m gonna take out the soap
I’m gonna wash out all the black I hope

When I get that heart washed out
I’m gonna sew it back together all inside out
so nobody’s gonna see them scars
it’s gonna look like the inside of a brand new car

I don’t wanna hurt
and I don’t wanna kill
I really really don’t
and I hope I never will

I just wanna be happy with my brand new heart

I Yi Yi

parkin’ lots and old newspapers
shelter cots beneath skyscrapers
burnin’ bridges and traffic jams
Staten Island’s full of tin cans

‘fridgerators and poopy diapers
and broken umbrellas and windshield wipers
rats and roaches and school yard snipers
sugar and salt and old typewriters

credit cards and SUVs
computer games and frozen peas
you can’t see the forest
because of the trees

broken bones and bloody knees
if you sleep outdoors tonight you’ll freeze
you can’t heal yourself
if you can’t name the disease

and I sing I yi yi
We’re all gonna die
lift your bottle high
lift your face up to the sky and sing I yi yi

I yi yi

A Florida Story

My son took to sellin’ crack
he bought me this here Cadillac
I can’t drive it
but I damn sure ain’t gonna give it back

I never did learn how to drive
Public Transit all I’d ever ride
this thing is so damn big
but I mus’ admit I’m lookin’ fine

So even though I don’t drive so good
I’m gonna keep tryin’ like I know I should
‘cuz my son works hard every day
to bring his business to the neighborhood

Third Eye

I tried to claw a hole in my forehead
but all I got was blood in my eyes
I tried to claw a hole in my forehead
thought maybe if I could open that other eye

that I could see things with a little more clarity
see danger coming a tiny bit sooner
avoid making lazy sleeping mistakes
exorcise demons out of the forest
murder the darkness with fire and light
lay ablaze the fields of the sloth and the slaughter
recognize a friend without saying a word
and see the blackness in those who don’t even see it in themselves

I tried to claw a hole in my forehead
but all I got was blood in my eyes
I tried to claw a hole in my forehead
but I couldn’t see shit and it hurt like hell

Hell is a place where the sun doesn’t warm you
Hell is a place that directly conforms you
Hell is a place where you work at McDonald’s
You eat there because all your meals are half off
Hell is the credit card bill that came this morning
Hell I thought I just paid that son of a bitch off
Hell is the feeling of failure and the futile waste of your time in whatever you do

Hell is the vast desperation we all feel
as we live in the world and are forced to look around
Hell is hoping for a job at Home Depot
if I can just pass the piss test I’ll at least have a job

Hell is the time that you spend being unhappy
Hell is the time that it takes to survive
Hell I don’t even fucking know what I’m griping about
I feel like I’m sleeping but at least I’m alive

Protection Poem

may your life be long and happy
may your history be written
may your money be well spent
may you enemies be smitten
may your death be peaceful and releasing
and come at the end of a long life
may your vehicle always start
may you always know wrong from right

may all of your love
come from above
may all of your prayers be answered
may you get what you need
in your hour of need
may you be spared from cancer

may your time be well spent
may your friends be sincere
may you recognize danger
whenever danger is near
may you become invisible
so that trouble can’t find you
and if you need me – remember –
I’m right behind you

I’m gonna sing my song and
I ain’t gonna sing no more
my precious time
done come and gone
I know you can see me
and you can hear my voice
may you always choose freedom
if you’re ever given a choice

EASTER POEM

Happy easter, kiss my keaster, all the kids went off to church
I stayed home and watched the Addams Family, my favorite guy on that show is
Lurch

SPRING

chomp chomp goes the beetle bug
but thats my garden so i gotta pull the plug
so i went to the garden store and talked to my friend Doug
he recommended Slug…
Death…
kills ’em…
dead

Untitled Murder Ballad

I don’t wanna hurt nobody but that I surely will
so many things in this world can drive a man to kill
now my daddy always told me he told me not to hate
but some men were just made to destroy what other men create
the power lies in judgement if that’s what you believe
yeah well I’ll hold myself accountable before I take my leave

now a time might come in some men’s lives to add up what has come
and to take it in their own minds to settle up the sum
the balance is a fine line between good and right
and every man’s inborn urge to stand up and fight
well before we begin I’d like to sing you a song
and the one who doesn’t rise tomorrow it might help along