bike race

 

float

Gigs

 

Meadow Muffin #2

Wagon pass

Dust stretch

Low pass

Barrel roll

ATA

And David flips out on the bass

David destroys

Air shatters

Who cares

Hell

Hell with it

Where's the management!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1988 California



At a Loss

HFB

scared shitless

pee'd my pants

froze stumbled stuttered

didn't bat an eye

hearts free

shirtless

pant and pant

sighed smiled

in the dark

I said her name

 

 

 

Pick up the Phone Please

move

walk run make a note

package hope

dial ring measure rope

ring ring ring ten

standing still

hang 

doors locked razor knife

fading light

cutting loose a kite

we could give it time

losing will

stray

pace hide shiver wallow

love is feral

peerless ache throat narrows

ring ring ring ten

 still

 

Tilden Park

Hills valleys fog whips

over the crest of unsure ends

Bellowing cows drift in the haze

Smoke dark shadows on the ridge

She asks, "So what a beautiful day"

I find that is all it is

Silent wish, collapsing weight,

our footfall lost to the wind

Five miles five words 

Illusion slides down fanciful hillsides

eucalyptus bird whistle

A stone in the palm of my hand

1987 California



Quasimodo and Esmeralda

 

 

 1.

 

Public jeers the whipping boy

their laughing faces stare and look away

fearful in a world of prayer and tyrrany

hate darkens their eyes

withering inside

twist 

grasp

hold your tongue hold your peace

shy your eyes away throw up your anger

spit out the rotting fruit of your life

the unfortunate

rent and bleeding

waste

tears

a hero for the desperate

your simple king with a crown of trust

drag him through the filthy streets of your life 

his kingdom falls

cheer the lash

crushed

wonders

at the fear and pain in mirrored faces 

who are cast from a mold of deformity

wash their hands and love their neighbor

she gave him water

stood alone

defiant

torn

 

2.

 

she gave me water

in tears the whipping quenched

she gave me water

raise your eyes

ecstasy and pain

blood runs down the back

raise you eyes

loves icy wave

burning ruts down the back

raise your eyes

the pain grasp you with sand in every vein

a seed of grace in every tear

the water

the water in torrents

rivers down the back

she gave me water.

Drop it Now

 

 

Wholesale destruction

sold with righteous conviction

armies are moving

the world on their spear

 

Death rays will rain down

mass graves on TV

round the clock updates

I don't want to hear

 

Why don't you drop it now

 

When I remember the red sky

how the earth gave out a great sigh

how many people will die on a single day

When I remember the outside

sea birds and battles on the Southside

bombers make a threat of the blue sky

why not drop it now

 

Illusions of freedom

sold with deception and treason

words that are searing

a language of fear

 

Wholesale misery

a world of greed and allure



 

 

 

 

 



Adventure in Berkeley

big baboon
big baboon
territory
territory
big baboon
espresso
a table
big baboon
big territory
flash red tail
espresso
espresso
doppio espresso
doppio espresso
big baboon
espresso
a table
big baboon
too much foam
too much foam



Coffee

sits off center on the walnut table
black waves spill over the lip
words flit
stirring conversation
mist to the dreamer of the lone cup of coffee



Different Days

For days now I've sat
At times lie down
Paged and tapped a pen
Busted an urge with felt
Turned the shards to cotton candy

Saw it snow sugary
A carnival  of bolts and straw
Leading me to the beer tent
Tankards and blanks
Four different days I've sat