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Monday, October 31, 2011

#304 Ship In A Bottle


A plastic segmented ship
Sailing seas of unnatural blue
Contained within walls of glass
Forever doomed to never pass

Tacking to and fro
Whither the wind go
Tapping the barrier with the prow
All wondering where to go now

The confines are rather small
Cylindrical and long
Consistent in drop line fall
Artificial and very wrong

The captain loads his cannon
Firing in tiny fury
But nary a crack or mark
Is made for any to see

The craft is becalmed today
No wind or waves to sway
The crew is fallen down drunk
What else to do in such a funk?

The captain gazes out
From his spot at the wheel
He plays with a dagger wistfully
Perhaps considering opening a vein with the steel

I look on with though
Sadness for them is all I feel
So with a beating heart
I go for the steal

I gently carry the bottle
Down to the harbor
And climb down
Under the wharf

Holding it level with the water
Surrounded by seagull's cry and peal
I break off the end of the bottle
The ship slipping into the real

The crew sobered up quick
The captain shouting orders
Barely to be heard
Beyond three foot borders

Watching intently
I sat cross legged on the shore
As the first wind caught their cloth
The craft daring the waves and froth

Even as the ship proceeded away further
In the shimmering midday sun
It seemed to grow larger
As she was trimmed and starting to run

Before I knew it
It seemed to be life sized
Running for the horizon
And freedom long prized


Sunday, October 30, 2011

#303 Chasing Macguffin

I can see it
I can almost taste it
Sweeter than honey
Lovelier than Venus
Once I had it in my hands
For some fleeting moments
Before it was snatched away
By foul and evil opponents

Macguffin!  (Macguffin)
Where do you hide now my love
I'll seek you all the rest of my days
Until I've exhausted the ways

Believe me
I’d kill for it
Ravage plunder and pillage
There’s no length too extreme
To steal away the steam
That’s powering my engine
Towards that dream

Macguffin! (Macguffin)
Don’t worry I’m coming for you
Send me a signal to show me the way
I’ll keep you safe and true

The funniest thing about it
If I could stop and think
Is I don’t have the damnedest idea
What it really is
I was dazzled for sure
Drowned in love so pure
But as to what it is….um, er
It doesn’t matter!

Macguffin! (Macguffin)
Love for you I do defend
I swear to find you and have you
Though it may mean my end

Saturday, October 29, 2011

#302 Who Are You?

Who are you?

I always see you
With your long beard
Your shaven face
Your bald head
Your hippie grace
Dressed in leather
In canvas, corduroy and lace

Who are you?

Your white skin blinds me
Your ebony tone
Thou's light brown hue
All of those colors are true
And many shades in between
Perhaps some I've never seen
Plaid isn't out of the question
Nor polka dot and paisley

Who are you?

I've seen you working
As a doctor
As a garbage man
As a teacher
As a mother
You have so many jobs
And sometimes you have none
Holding a sign
An upturned hat
Passersby calling you a bum

Who are you?

Are you the ninety nine percent?
Are you the one?
Perhaps you are more fifty fifty
Even when odds are three to one
But in numbers games
The house always wins
Wouldn't you rather have a name
Than a number?
Me too, if it's all the same

But, who are you?

John Stonebender
Steve Smith
Applebee Fencepainter
Names used to mean something
They gave you purpose
They gave you freedom
They fenced you in
They niched your surface
What's the name for jack-of-all-trades?
Oddjob?  Oddfellow?
For such a supremely generalized race
We sure like to define on the narrow

Hey buddy, Who are you anyways?

I am you

Friday, October 28, 2011

#301 H2O Speed


Speed is the key
If you keep it up
You'll soon see
That you are walking on water
Just like Jesus C.



Thursday, October 27, 2011

#300 The Need To Fill A Hole


I've looked everywhere

I've done as you asked
I looked where you said
I've looked under rocks
I've looked under my bed

But he isn't there

Whenever I ask you where
Your face turns red
And you look away from me
It fills me with a sense of dread

I ask you if it's my fault
That he went away
You tell me no
That he just couldn't stay

You don't seem to understand

I have a hole
It's dark and empty
And it's inside my soul
But you refuse to see

I know you love me
I know that you care
But when I want to talk of him
Your eyes wander into a thousand yard stare

This is one mystery that just isn't fair

So I'm taking things into my own hands
I'm packing my bag
With all the essentials
Now it's almost too heavy to drag

I leave it behind
As I strike out at dawn
I'm going to a place
That I've only seen drawn

In his own hand
Many different images
That you hid in dark boxes
All marked simply "Cortez"

I don't know what that means either
You'll never tell me
Though it means something to you
I have eyes and can see

That same image
Drawn from different views
The cabin in the woods
Framed by a copse of yews

Upstate Maine is a long ways away
But I'm ten years old today
You said I'm a big boy
And I can find the way

As I cross the neighbor's field
Rough and bumpy from cultivation
I wipe the sweat from my eyes
And envision my goal with new determination

It will be
The best feeling I've ever had
When I knock on that cabin door
And can finally hug my Dad


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

#299 Dog Odd


There is something
Something definitely odd
About that dog

Is it that his eyes look out of place?
Deep and intelligent
Almost from another race
Piercingly blue
Knowing everything about you
Able to change hue
Upon command

No
That's not it

Perhaps it's his legs
Muscled and knotty
Much more than is needed
For simply holding up his body
Defined like a Mr. Universe
And striking poses quite diverse
Flexing both longitudinal and transverse
Catching your eye

Nope
Not that

The tricks he seems to be doing?
He handles those cards like a pro
Gesturing for you to pick one
With that look in his eye that says he does know
He must have been on stage
In Vegas he'd be all the rage
Literally on the front page
In a top hat

But
That doesn't seem to be it

Wait, what's he doing with my son?
My boy can't stop laughing
Saying happily, "He's the one!"
I stand and smile
Life hasn't been easy since the move
Young Jack's had a hard time finding his groove
He looks back at me hoping I approve
And I think I do

There was something
Something definitely odd
About that dog

He looked lonely in that cage
Without a real home

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

#298 What is Truth?

Living on the inside
Looking on the outside
Searching and reaching
Deep down
Way out

Truth comes from within
Or is that from without?
What truth is there to be had
When it's all inside a closed petri dish

The poodle knows more truth than I
I can see it in his half hidden eye
I look closer and he licks me
Rather than ask why

I can search for the truth
Up in the sky
Along with so many others
But it isn't up there
And neither is the pie

The pie
Is found in the kitchen
And it never asks why
It is to be eaten
It's purpose clear

I wish it were that simple
For all things under the sun

Fingers touch keys
Keys make words
Turned into data
Turned into ones and O's

To a layman
It looks like
00101010
To someone who knows
It could be the meaning of life
Not just numbers in endless rows

If I wait patiently
I hope the truth will find me
Looking out for it is exhausting
Looking within is too much like death

Snake oil peddlers
Will try to tell you
That they know all the secrets
That they are the witness to the truth

But how is one to know
When one truth
Is so different from the other
I just close my eyes
And spin that big wheel
Hoping for big money
And a place
In the showcase showdown
At the end of the broadcast

Quid est veritas?

Monday, October 24, 2011

#297 Is His Own Worst Enemy


The note is short
But not very sweet
It says quite simply
In letters small and neat:

"Hands off my cake, fucker!"

It's on my countertop
And I don't know who from
I walk my perimeter
All the doors and windows are locked
From whence could someone come?

This isn't the first time
I've found something like this
Just last week
I found a booby trap

Luckily I saw the telltales
And avoided the result
But who would wire a shotgun to my door?
And what the hell for?

I'll admit I'm a bit unnerved
Though it's all that I deserve
After what I did last year
At the annual carnival

I'd discuss it right now
But my therapist says I shouldn't
All I'll say is that you'd have done it too
And don't lie like you wouldn't

However
This person in my house
I'm getting a little worried
I get out a stethoscope
I tap on the walls and floors and listen
Maybe I can hear where they are buried

I find another note
Same handwriting with no correction
Seems to be left-handed
Smeared slightly in that direction

"Leave, or I'll kill you"

I crumple it up
I would if I could
But I've locked myself in
Everything is bolted and screwed shut
Ain't nothing getting in or out of this hut

I'm going to find out who this is
At all costs
Once I see who it is
I can deal with the danger

I'm setting up a camera today
Wired right to my computer
It will see everything
Recording continuously

Maybe you don't want to know

"Yes I do!", I shout at nobody in particular

I do that sometimes
Don't worry, it's ok

Everything is all set
I think I feel a bit better
Knowing that I'll soon know
Who's been writing those letters

I absent-mindedly rub at a stain
On the side of my left hand
Looking down I frown
How it got there I don't understand

Whatever
It's almost time for bed
I get a slice of MY cake
Despite what that ominous note said

Sunday, October 23, 2011

#296 Mechanical Dreams - Mechanical Longings


I'm on a flat plain
Holding a tall stick
Sharp on the top
My metal digits grip it loosely
My thoughts cold and logical
But wandering nonetheless

I look out across my unit
One hundred static generating organisms
Genetically manipulated creatures
Once known as sheep
Now generating electricity
To support my kind

We of science
We of logic

One of my 'sheep' starts to move away
I move closer to it
And prod it with my stick
Never quite touching it
Just manipulating it back to the unit
Using the differential electrical charge of my stick
To guide it

This is a peaceful place
Time to be still
Conserve energy
And use my processing cycles
For the good of my race

Wirelessly transmitting
And receiving data
Solving equations
Proposing questions
Providing answers

Truth is logic

I erect an enclosure
The unit secured
I power down
They will not need me until tomorrow

*

My skin tingles
Air moving the hair on my arms
It's a stunning feeling
Feeling human

Looking around
I'm in front of a building
Large and white
With a cross of wood upon the roof

The sun is going down
The air is cold
Candles are in the windows
Sounds of singing comes from inside

I want to go in
And I do

Seeing all the others
Looking much like me
So very
Human

They are all looking towards the front
Singing while holding small books
I find a place among them
And take in the sights and sounds

There is a young human
Clothed in a long brown cloak
Holding a tall stick
The stick has a hook on top

Around him are other young ones
They are wearing white fluffy clothing
Crawling on their knees
They are making animal noises

I watch fascinated
They are pretending to be sheep
I know what those are
I listen to the singing

I am so happy

I stay
I listen to all that is said
When all the others leave
I stay
And I read the books I find

I want to stay
This is a fulfilling place
This must be a fulfilling existence
I think these thoughts
As my eyes grow heavy

I slide a little lower in my chair
Soft, and almost hidden
In the corner of the vast building
Behind the festive decorations

My eyes are heavy
Closing finally

*

Metal covers flapping gently
In an imitation
Of biological parts long extinct

It's eyes glow softly
Almost sleepily
Machinations purring softly in it's body

Looking over at it's partner
Grey metal
Red markings
Freshly applied
Very satisfying to behold

"I was dreaming again"
It announces happily
"It was wonderful"

It's partner turns to look
Mechanical eyes lovely to behold
"What were you dreaming of?"

Eyes turning purple
Remembering the dream
"God......and electric sheep"

Saturday, October 22, 2011

#295 And Yet You Loved Me


You love to build
I lived to destroy
Opposites do attract
We've proved that
You and I

When we were three
Your awesome sand castle
I laid siege to it
Crumbled it's walls with rocks
Flooded the courtyard with joy
You cried
And you hit me
Which only encouraged me
To rub a dead fish in your hair

But you still loved me

When we were twelve
I told all the other boys
Your secret:
You'd let me touch your new boobs
And you were growing hair
You had shown me
Like, down there
It made you cry
And you hit me
I dumped out your book bag

But you still loved me

When we were seventeen
You took me to your special place
In your father's car
We watched the sunset
It was perfect you said
Then I played death metal
Drank some wine I stole
And pissed on your favorite tree
It made you cry
You said I ruined it
Then I threw up on you

But you still loved me

When we were twenty-two
Both of your parents died
It was horrible and tragic
And I held you all through the night
While you cried
You said I finally grew up
Then I kissed you

You still loved me

And I have always loved you

Friday, October 21, 2011

#294 Is Best if Read Aloud With an Australian Accent


Crickey!
Look over there
Quietly now
Or she might charge us
There it is
The rare Eatumus Potatomus!

That there
Is the creature
That caused so many problems
In Ireland
Back in the 1600's

Blimey!
The huge teeth on her
She can crush and eat
Up to one ton of potatoes a day
But don't let her looks fool you mate
She's fast

Stories tell
Of how the Irish farmer
Would hear them eating his potatoes
But by the time he got outside
The critter would be safely hiding
Out in the bog already

Yea
Smart and fast

Uh-oh!
She's seen us!
Whatever you do
Don't look like a potato
Shhhh

Arms out
Like a tree
They hate trees

I said arms out mate

Oh no
She's charging
Run!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

#293 Do You Hear That Ticking?


I'm ticking

I'm checking for a watch
But there is none
The plot is thickening

Perhaps it's a cartoon bomb
With red sticks and an alarm clock
The thought is sickening

Is it the titanium valve in my heart?
No, I don't have one of those
My pulse is quickening

What is that noise
Perhaps my teeth as I eat clicking
That would be so fattening

It's growing louder
I put my fingers in my ears
It's almost deafening

I feel hotter too
Is the heat on in here
My forehead is glistening

Suddenly it gets slower
Something is changing
It's tempo is lengthening

Things seem calmer now
I feel safe
It doesn't seem so threatening

Almost all at once
I can sort of see what I need
I'm having a moment of enlightening

I hear a snap
My eyes flutter open
I am awakening

My doctor stops the metronome

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

#292 Disillusioned and Disenfranchised


I
Is disillusioned
With political process
Isolated from what I see
On the local TV
Their bad decisions
Pour forth like a bad disease

No matter
Who gets elected
Democrat
Republican
Then Democrat again
Rinse and repeat
Infinite ad nauseam
The whole process
Should be in a museum

Nowadays
I throw my vote away
On obscure Independents
In the wistful hope
That just one more vote
Will encourage them
To keep on trying
Though most everyone else
Is brainwashed
Into thinking they are a joke

You ate a Democrat
You ate a Republican
They both gave you gas
You cannibal citizen
Left wing conservative
Right wing liberal
Washed down
With a dose of literal disenfranchisement

Who will be the winner
Seems like
The talking heads decide
Us parrots just pull the handle
Repeating as taught
Refusing to gamble

A question would be:
Are there really more than one party?
I'm thinking
There is only actually one
For they always seem to act the same
When all is said and done

Find the line between them
And all their special interests
It's blurry at best
When it's even there

Oh my
It's polling time again
Time to tell Gallup
That I'm planning to vote
For that dark horse once again