Last Laugh

It’s not easy being a poet
who despises poetry,
one who believes 90% of all poets
are bullshit,
excited, snotty little shits,
so full of themselves they
can barely walk,
let alone write about things
they understand less,
poetry has become an abstraction,
a train wrecked shambles,
without rhyme but more importantly;

without reason.

I bought this journal and pen,
something on which
to write the new words,
the new thoughts,
a cornucopia of expression,
a symphony of sound,
a bright, white mass of exploding light,
a spattering of pure, unadulterated originality,
but now,
as I stare at these blank pages,
the realization occurs that
these new words,
are the same as the old words,
its has all been said
and said again,
used and reused,
just a different format,
a revised version,
only our simple-minded human egos
prevent us from seeing the truth,
let alone admitting it;

there really is nothing new
under the sun.

We titillate and capitulate,
until it all seems fresh and alive,
patting ourselves on the back,
creating monumental trophies and awards
for the same old bullshit,
reading the collected works of man
is like walking on a treadmill,
you struggle and work
but no matter how far you go,
in the end you’re right back
where you started.

Morrison had the last laugh,
he wasn’t a god,
not some mystic, warrior poet,
just a drunk who
liked to hump,
a degenerate,
a bold-faced, killer clown,
with the soul of a madman,
a pathetic little parasite
disguised as Adonis,
the ultimate masquerade,
yes, Morrison had the last laugh;

long live the king.
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There is No Fairness in Virginia

151 years ago Virginia fought a war, killing hundreds of thousands to protect their ‘right’ of self-determination as a state. They did so with no regard for the effects this ‘self-determination’ had on millions of people deemed less than human(by law) and therefore legally owned property. They did so to protect the interests of a relatively small group of wealthy plantation owners who stood to lose everything if the institution of slavery was abolished. They convinced the common folks of Virginia that this war was about ‘self-determination’, fairness and Yankee imperialism, but the bottom line is that it was really about greed and the desire to maintain a lifestyle which required a great deal of wealth. Their thinking was deceptive and backwards then and little has changed in the ‘Commonwealth’ of Virginia as far as the ruling class is concerned. Today there are laws and regulations in Virginia which openly discriminate against certain categories of individuals. This is not an attack on the people of Virginia. The people of Virginia are some of the most gracious, kindest, ‘salt-of-the earth’ individuals you will find anywhere on earth. Fair minded, loyal individuals who place their trust in God and government. In fact it is the basic fairness and sense of loyalty of the people of Virginia that legislators used then to fight a war and use today in a battle that still continues.

There is no fairness in Virginia,
sitting in their Richmond offices
like a brood of vipers,
hiding behind their chivalry,
their heritage,
their mollified gentility;

basking in their
‘moral superiority’.

Pompous bureaucrats
playing politics,
making self-serving policies,
passing discriminatory laws,
destroying people and lives
in the process,
then throwing up their hands;

“it’s the law”,
(we have the right).

All the time
smiling in your face,
using long drawn out
gracious words
dripping with hypocrisy,
stating well-rehearsed,
practiced lines,
providing legal and
self-righteous justification,
a soulless people
trapped within their
own self-deception,
blinded by their ‘right’ to do so
no matter what the cost,
trampling afoot,
those helpless to fight back;

a conquered nation
seeking revenge.
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.

Christmas Past

I did a search on my data base for poems I had written with a Christmas theme and here are two I found. They were both wrote many years ago (at least 15), I had forgotten I had even written them. I am posting them with the hope that you will understand they do not reflect my life today. What I am hoping people will see from them is that even in the darkness the Lord was dealing with me, even if I did not understand or comprehend it. That He is there even when we do not know it, that He is waiting for us to open the door of our hearts and allow Him to come in and have fellowship with us no matter where we might be or who we think we have become.  On the eve of another Christmas, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of a Savior that most don't truly know or understand, my one hope is that everyone who does happen to read this will stop (even for just a second) and reflect on just who this man called Jesus really was. That you will turn off the tv, put down the headsets, and listen, really listen, for that small, still voice that calls within us all. He is there waiting, for you, for me, for all of us.

Not Often


I try to play by the rules,
but sometimes
I’m not even sure what the rules are,
and most of the time;

it doesn’t really matter.

There was a time
when it did matter,
but that’s just the way it goes,
the way it is,
inside I know it will pass;

as it always does.

The darkness draws close now,
closer than ever before,
enveloping me in its icy mystery,
as I no longer try to run
from its hidden secrets,
becoming one with its silky
sweet voice.

I remember Christmas Eve from the past,
when the world seemed fresh and sweet,
waiting for my dad to come home from work,
going to my aunt’s house for the traditional
Christmas Eve get together,
where my sisters and I would open one present,
all the lights out except those on the Christmas tree,
Elvis playing on the record player,
singing ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’,
wishing I could hold on to it
forever.

Sometimes I remember,
sometimes it matters;

but not often.
_________________________

Christmas Morning

Ah glorious morning,
the world holds its breath,
waiting for your wonderful moment,
searching for a glimpse
of your undeniable truth,
soon it will fade,
but for that one shining moment,
we remember,
and we see
with our hearts,
not our minds.

Soon the darkness will return,
the prince of this world
jealously guards his kingdom,
blinding the truth with words like
God and country,
waving his flags,
creating his heroes,
making that which is simple,
so very complicated,
making that which is nothing,
so very important,
keeping us apart,
confusing us
with his own deeds,
his own power,
justifying patriotic hatred,
creating racial separation;

ah but for a moment
we remember,
and we see
the peace;

thank you blessed king.
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Cost of Living

What is the cost of living?

sadness,
joy,
sorrow,
suffering,
pain,
hopelessness,
satisfaction,
fulfillment,
emptiness,
loneliness,
death;

decisions made,
consequences paid;

for every breath there is a cost.

Evil in the name of righteousness,
hypocrisy in the form of light,
of such things are men made,
by such things do they fall,
standing fast on truths
they understand not,
blinded by sanctimonious testimony,
lost on roads leading to nowhere;

who shall pay the debt?
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Rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7

The cold black night quietly closes in,
the pain steadily intensifies,
blinding and overwhelming,
becoming more than I think
my spirit can possibly bear,
hope slowly fades,
rage fills my mind and heart,
bitterness and anger grow,
until it feels as though
I am about to burst,
the enemy silently waits;

ready for the final kill.

Then You reach out
across the long lonely miles,
using unsuspecting and unexpected messengers,
gently reminding me that You are near,
softly speaking words of encouragement,
renewing my faltering spirit,
providing new found courage,
making it possible to rise once again.

The pain begins to dissolve,
the darkness turns to light,
hope comes flooding in like a mighty river,
Your blessed peace surrounds me
like a well worn blanket,
the enemy retreats
back into the blackness
from which he came.

Once more You have delivered me
from unseen traps and snares,
once more You have brought hope
where there was none to be found,
once more You have saved me
through Your never ending mercy and grace;

I will rejoice in You,
I will declare Your wondrous love,
I will praise Your holy name,
forever.
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Portable CD Players

Out on the front line,
(nights are the worst),
the sentinels stand watch,
waiting for the next attack to begin,
knowing it could be the last,
fighting to the very end,
ready to kill or be killed,
thinking about the girl back home,
or the wife, the two kids,
the car, and the house
with the white picket fence
then realizing,
that none of that much matters now;

dead or alive;

for the first time
I understand portable CD players
and headphones.
.
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Cardiovascular Wars

Changes come,
swift and unexpected,
on calm, quiet, sunny days
so transient and fragile,
nothing is permanent;

except death.

And so it is,
you return home,
fresh from the cardiovascular wars,
having faced the beast
with only internal scars to show,
even though you know,
one battle does not make a war,
and in the end;

he always wins.

Now you take your place
with all the other veterans,
watching and quietly waiting
for the next one,
as you are slowly devoured
one artery at a time.
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