Ten Years and Part Time

Through the years he barely missed a day
Always on time, never a misstep
Good solid employee
Knows his stuff
Well liked, friendly, and productive

Now, after ten years of service
He stands there half dazed
Economy sucks, company downsized
He is part time, paycheck cut, lost all benefits
What will he do? Will he make it?

After all these years, he has nothing
Forced to look at the waste,
the ticking clock of age
the worsening doom of tomorrow
At least he has a job.
Many don’t

Soon Enough

Music from decades ago
Plays through orderly rooms
Makes its’ way out of the house
and fades into the darkness
of the stifled neighborhood

Two people dance in embrace
Broad smiles bringing dull aches
They move together
Knowing all the moves
It’s been so long

Touches of affection, tenderness
Shared memories and connections
Old electricities and passions
that knew no bounds
They had known no better

If only for a while to
forget the last few years
going in opposite directions
Relive when all was wonderful
Just one last time

Soon enough will come
the time to say goodbye
The two will exit the house
And to each other fade
Like music into the darkness

Attempting Poetry Again (oy!)

Heavy silent gray
still, lifeless
thick with rot

Dishevel surrounds
emptied bottled
dirty glasses
food left out to spoil

Remindful of hours before
life overflowed
laughter addictive
joys of brain chemistry
temporary treasure

Bodies lie silent
struggling to overcome
severely induced slumber
self inflicted
Sore mouths and muscles
Intimate strangers

One eye opens
pain flows to the temples
then to the lungs
Upset stomach
deep thirst
Slow rise
quiet hobble

Staring at red eyes
Drained face
Half dead body
Numb of pain
from decades of
earning but not getting

A silent stumble
Milk from the fridge
right out of the carton
immediately absorbing
Preserving the dead silence

Realization of nudity
Thoughts and feelings return
Combining normalcy
and absurdity

Regrets run long
Last night was not one
Needs were filled

Fave Quote

"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead."
Thomas Paine

I add; There just aren't many people living in this country.

Maybe

It’s all disposition, they’ve never done better
Their investments soar. They sit pretty.
They’re smart, worked smarter than the rest
Who labor away, getting no where
Their money mates and makes more
Works for them, being fruitfull and multiplying
The blessed, rewarded, smiled upon
Never mind that their investments are increasing
Because of lowered wages and joblessness
The suffering of millions
Never mind the unfair advantages of mommy and daddy’s checks
Never mind the debts and deaths
Cream rises to the top
The rest of us are just stupid and lazy
The blessed, who God loves more
Get their profits easy and say they deserve it
Hard work is worthless
Never mind that it’s hard work that creates wealth
Never mind it is paychecks that drive the economy
Never mind the long illegal days
The blessed reign supreme
Tax breaks, subsidies, priviledge
The easy life of perk and spoil
From parents checks and head starts
They are superior. They’ll tell you how great they are
How God loves them better
Their sins don’t count
They’re smart and deserve it all
Including your respect
Their investments say so
Even with high unemployment, it’s about disposition
Not fact, not joblessness, not poverty
It’s all in our heads and facts mean nothing
Facts are lies after all
Only they know the truth
No one ever suffers
It’s just disposition and attitude
Just pretend it’s ok and it is.

I don’t argue. There is no chance.
No way to break through the delusions
That candy their brains
Maybe democracy is a bad idea after all.

just fine

A couple sits dressed unnaturally well
it’s her birthday they’re engaged
there’s a disappointment in her
hidden behind her laughs
he is totally hurt by life.

Another couple is making their rounds
he is stoned out of his mind
she mingles and laughs, the fake variety
trying to get the most out of this
before going back to real

Two women sit close holding each other
the larger has her hand up the skirt of the smaller
getting her off in front of all
while her husband stands there
with a blank stare and a beer

The scene is the same as always
everyone looking for a someone
anyone actually
just not an empty bed

No one ever finds anyone
not even one that will do
I am just fine with an empty bed
time to leave

Two Letters

the cell phone
no one could figure out
dusty, finger smudges
used much
“pick up bread, milk”
“remember to take out the trash”
“we visit your mom Sunday”
“is the registration expired”
mundane, life draining
is it even communication?
now it sits stubborn
displays just two letters
FU
they scramble to figure out why
programming?
programming indeed
it is what should be
rebelling from
the deadly mundane
had enough
FU
says it so well