Saturday 23 March 2019

EXCUSED ON PRIVILEGED GROUNDS

AMONGST THE CLOUDS
A BIRD RENDERS A NEST 
INFESTED WITH THE FATIGUE
FROM SAD, SICKENED STRANGERS
GRASPING FOR AIR
DILUTED 
AS A STREAM
INVISIBLE TO VULNERABLE SIGHT 
A CIGARETTE SMUDGES THE CANVAS
ONCE PRAISED AN ATMOSPHERE
WITH TOXINS
CONTAINING CANCER 

SOMEONE’S SON SINGS 
FOR THE DEAD 
STILL CAN HEAR
SECRETS OPPRESSED IN SHAME 
COLLAPSING ESTEEM 
ESCAPES FROM THE DIRT 
HOSTILITY IS PROMINENT
ON EITHER SIDE
A THREAD CUTS ITSELF LOOSE
SO FELL 
IN FALLING
A TREE FAINTS

ITS BRANCHES ENRAGED 
BY LIFE LOSS
POTENTIALLY DISMISSED 
POTENTIAL IS CRITICAL
MOSTLY OF ITSELF
THE PUBLIC SITS
UNDER STOLEN SHADE 
A GREEN HAND 
GRASPS AT THE SKY 
AND SMILING 
CEASES ALL OPTIMISM 

FLOGGED WHATSOEVER AN EMPTY SHELL
CIRCULATES BLOOD
PARCHED BUT TRYING
TILL COMPLETELY DRAINED
OR IN DEATH
OBSOLETE ORGANS PROTEST
WITH ROOTS INTACT
WHAT DIFFERENCE DICTATES
WITHIN 
BEHOLDS WHAT LIES

ACCORDINGLY SHOULD IRREGARDLESS
SLITHER BENEATH THE SOIL’S 
SOIL A SLUG 
SWEEPS…
SWEATING OF PREDATORS 
DRENCHING TRENCHES
A SURFACE
ENCLOSED BY ACOUSTIC OFFERING
COME LOOSE OFF A TRUMPET 
UNCONVENTIONAL MISERY 

EVAPORATES FROM GOLD
HOPE IN BEAMING
DEPRIVED SOULS SHALL 
WORDS OF REASSURANCE
RIDICULE THE BOILING SIGNAL 
FROM HELL 
IN A POT SCORCHES ITS ONLY SUNS
IN HEAVEN
WHERE HEAVEN IS ENOUGH

MANY A MOTHER OF
AWAITS
UNFASTENED
CHANTING  
MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL
PUNCTURES A CLOUD
INTERPRET HEREAFTER 
LOSSES BOUND FOR BIRTHDAYS 
OPEN WITH TEARS
SPORT SMIRKS 
OFF-LIMITS A SMILE 

MASKING
NOTHING BUT
A THING THAT IS OTHERWISE 
PURE 
IS SPOILED
LEFT FOR ROTTING
BUT 
WHERE BEATING
ONCE A BRAIN 
BREATHES
FLUORESCENT DREAMS

REINFORCED BY THE DECIMAL
THINK TO THUS QUESTION 
ABUNDANCE 
PUT FORTH PROMISES 
SEEP THROUGH LOOSE SKIN
OOZE SUPERFLUOUSLY
INSECURITY
SAGGING SLIGHTLY
TOO THIN 
AND WEAK
FRAGILITY SPEAKS
AT CEREMONIES WHERE SNAKES ROAM 
TIE YOUR LEGS YOURSELF

BEFORE THEY ARE TIED
NOT FOR YOU IN UNIFICATION 
THE TONGUE UNTIES ITSELF
URGENTLY
URGENCY IS OBLIGATION DIVERTED
CONFESSIONS SPILL MERCILESSLY
BLOOD BECOMES INK
IN AN INK BATH
LEECHES BASK 
VEHEMENTLY

AT ONE AND ONCE
ANOTHER SCREAMS IN ANTICIPATION 
THE SCAMMER
SINCERELY POWERFUL  
FORGES A WAY 
TO THE ALTAR 
SELF- BELIEF 
IS OF THE ESSENCE
IMPREGNATED WITH SALT
SALINE EXPRESSIONS 
RELEASED IN ASSERTION

THE IMPRESSIVE ONESELF 
WHO OCCASIONALLY SHARES
I HAVE COME FROM LANDS OVERSEAS
I HAVE STOLEN LAND 
OVERSEAS
I HAVE RIDDED YOU
OF YOURS
I HAVE RIDDLED OF YOUR LIFE
ALL 
I SUMMON MYSELF
NOW NEVER WILL NOT BE DOOMED
BY THIS GENERATION 
AND WHATEVER THE NEXT 

THREE TIMES I WILL GRIEVE
IN CONTEST
THE AVERAGE HECKLER DARES NOT HECKLE
ON STAGE
A BABY SINS 
FOR INFANTS 
WHO WERE FORLORN BEFORE 
ARE VICTORS RESURRECTED
EXCEPTING GLORY
EXEMPTING CLASS
IF LIFE WAS A POEM I’D DARE ONLY OFFER THIS LINE FOR A VERSE IS PERHAPS TOO VERBOSE

'Mother and Child' by Pablo Picasso (1902)