Tremble of leaf
time's spasm
to cruel summer
unfolds exhaustion
toward decay
of all promise.
It was never
anything it seemed
and only sucked
the life blood out
into insect swarm
indifference.
Puncture wound
thrust into canned
contents poured
over and out
intercepted tastes
and spent signals.
Failed attempts
to get past
those censors
picking apart bits
of road kill
messages.
Broken loose
dropped stone
flutter of failing
desire wings
reaching up
into the downpour.
Beaten against
bared surface
carried away
frenzied attempts
at penetrating
pain and soil.
----------------
170819B
-----------
History of futility
given up to erasure
graphic trenches
slowly fill in
gaps carved
across battlefields.
No one certain
where it was
the losing side
dug in
risking too much
for glory.
Lines cut
cloak and dagger
blocked passage
build ups
without conclusions
left to hanging.
Myths of kindness
cleverly disguised
cover up layers
of estrangement
in deep propaganda
tightened markets.
Window dressing
binding wounds
left shell shock
first impressions
conscripts to style
try on uniforms.
Draft dodger
craves sanctuary
from cannon fodder
industrial call ups
to front line
desolation.
Leave behind
a few sparse relics
signifying nothing
past martyrdom
shaving kit
and clock watch.
Back and forth
the same furrow
brow beaten
to insignificance
spits resentments
polishing conformity.
Never get up
off the ground
at anything
past the line up
of perpetual rows
in steady attrition.
Go to town on it
to find nothing
responsive
outside routine facts
of corporate news
being re-broadcast.
------------------------
170819C
-----------
Another inquisition
passes over, under
and around
never asking any
relevant questions.
Ends failed capture
of vomit memorized
expected answers
left to guessing
what it all means.
Objections are over
ruled irrelevant
leaving critical listings
of whatever chanced
and appealed.
Bed time stories
passed off
as explanations
twist tragedies
into a nursery rhyme
blind faith lemonade.
Pick at scraps
without appetite
drenched in bland
sauce of tasteless
go for.
Reading news
cravings for mistaken
crumbs of truth
turned cruel pastimes
in a fly trap.
Everything standing
falsely accused
of being in the way
getting threatened
with execution.
Dreaming comes
dime a dozen cheap
comic book feel
of sugar coated
losing propositions.
Beats the life out
of door mat experience
and try to get from
under foot struggle
expressing squeals
of enjoyment.
-----------------
170819D
-----------
Dead afternoon
gone dry
under sun bake
crumbles away
at the moral edges
into delirious lack
of concentration.
Don't know
any way out
of mind mazed
running into
confused offerings
and falsified motives
all individually priced.
Never can afford
a more desirable skin
weary of rummage
last year's dead
corpse style flesh
left tainted
and a toe tag.
Closet of vagabond
solicitations
getting wrong looks
closed circle game
identity cuts
patterned pull outs
along familiar lines.
Nothing gets in
past fashion carnage
public announcements
demonstrating
opposition solidarity
to statement of purpose
and body type.
------------------
170819E
-----------
Crack squirrel
wild life
freaks the wire
in skinny stretch
blur of fuzz
screech.
Gnaws vestiges
of long gone
ripped open
spaces
in shark toothed
handbag debate.
Frantic addict
scratching
track marks
digging up
forgotten bits
of quick fix.
Piece of tail
jerk off
in wig wag
spasm shoot
a load across
no man's turf.
-----------------
170819F
-----------
Crossing over
a dead landscape
of bloated
carbon copies.
Cocktail hour
plastic
in breezy spaces
of hesitation.
Word jumble buzz
click pressed
to same flavour
of vaped meanings.
Tent city
edge of poisoned
crowded in
to a watering hole
Ghetto business
machine suit
neck tie sorcery
of clay and spittle.
New tribe
of markings
hangs out over
on the other side.
Been looking
for a way out
past those limits
of reasonable.
Never met
any who could
open up any
to that wild.
---------------
Because I have no talent for writing stereotypically acceptable "neo-romantic" ditties that reputedly can serve in the capacity of one or another type of fish bait.