2009 Haiku

New Year  crickets chirp....

the Earth that bears us, the Ox,

is content tonight.

Ars Poetica Vs. Political Correctness

Sometimes the picture isn't pretty, but Guernaca

for one example, let alone Duchamp's urinal, show

Art is not just decorative household part of the furniture,

Art points to what you need to know. 

I'm Starting to Channel Heath Ledger (for Anne)

My mouth is widening at the edges...

I'm smacking my lips like Mouse

in 'The Matrix." Sarcasm drips from my face

like runny makeup and oatmeal....a Fool for all seasons. 

They'll listen to the truth if you piss them 

off enough.

Rough Translation of Itself

I can't watch the movie because 

your violin is too big...could 

you satisfy me please?

Thank you for participating

in our emergency life drill.

If it had been an actual life, you

would have been given instructions.

It is forbidden to believe anything

on these premises.

"Anyone for Gulag?"

The misuses of bells and

whistles is strictly prohibited.

If you are about to go into the pool,

check to see if you have washed first.

Check your friends to see if they

have washed.

When rushing too fast around the pool,

observe the life of others.

The presence of glass containers around

the pool is quite amazing. Please exchange

these for better utensil. Life is in your feet.

These rules are meant to be obeyed

for your kindness. Any missteps involve

severe lashings.

I'm glad we're done here.

(Lit.: "I'm Vlad. We're done here.")

Eliminating Unnecessary Assumptions (for Agatha)

You can call me whatever you want now.

I am an actor, I am whomever.

Why are we shocked when people die?

We should applaud! Sing: "Way to go!!!"

I stopped making a living.

Now I'm just a living.

Hidden in a song was an older song.

Why be afraid of mystery?

Mystery is just another word 

for another world.

I write till I stop writing.

There is no other explanation.

Smee

Old blank dwarf

caught in mid myth

plank crumbling.

Moment Museum

The quality of beats per second perpetuated

in paint or words/snapshot of your mind's

overlay on the face form of your friend to the point

where the next second is gone before you say goodbye

yet same time recognizing a classic moment of "this

is it",  not captured but branded by obviousness of

searing coincidence like when we all fell in love.

Porcelain Clarity

I sat with the Marine Sergeant Major,

retired, shot up over Bosnia, but full

of  reaction, sipping beer, playing with 

the odds that he would kill me for no

reason.

Buddha's Razor

All things being equal

nothing really happened.

Still Life (Unadorned)

It's still life moving, as always,

the usual suspect.

Time waits for no one to get it,

be quick before it's over.

It's what's up front that counts,

not what you think.

A gimmie while waiting for the bus.

Slattern monogamy of perception

frozen by time.  Dance despite

your stilted mind gazebo.

Hymn of the Pearl

"In the Hymn of the Pearl a young prince is sent by his father in the east (East, in antiquity, was seen as symbolic of light and life) to Egypt in the west (West was seen as symbolic of death) in which lies a great pearl guarded by the dragon. The prince puts on the clothes of the Egyptians, so as not to be recognized as a foreigner. However, the dragon learns of the prince and gets the prince to eat the heavy food of the Egyptians. After eating the Egyptian food the prince falls asleep and forgets who he is. He believes himself to be an Egyptian, when in fact he is really a prince from the East."      Wikipedia

Gesars warriors forgot that they were born
to defeat the Lords of the Setting Sun.
In the new age they will awaken.
Jesus was a Shambhala warrior...
...he just didn't have the support staff.

Circe and the lotus eaters, turning Odysseus's

men into pigs.

I just hope life isn't canceled 

due to lack of interest.

I Never Know When I'm Going To Write A Poem

Like, now,

Oops!

Ahem!

(Phatooey!)

Nice

to see you all here standing there alive

or not seeing you but knowing you're 

still alive somewhere...and even if you're

not alive right now but I knew you

you are still alive.  I have no idea what

kind of poem this is.

I might wake up tomorrow morning,

roll over,

and see this poem...

Jump!....Get Up!....and press Delete!

The Beat

I got speakers

for my computer...

now I can make 

a loud noise.

Music hath power

more power than Tide to clean

more power than Kissinger to

subvert his enemies.

Music heals

by being there.

It stimulates 

all the appropriate

brain waves...

...all the usual suspects.

I was hyper-thyroid

till about fourty...never knew it...

I always danced, alone, 

uncontrollably. 

to Kottke

and The Dead....it was nice.

...had a lot of energy...oops!

but the beat still feels in the feet.

No Poem

No poem comes my way...

can't keep up with the world.

I shout short phrases at passersbye...

they look at me for a second confused

and walk away.

Now they know how I feel.