SOLITUDE

Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

Those who love
fiercely and
strongly
often find themselves
wrongly 
wronged
or so it may seem
as opposed to those who
settle
for what presents itself
as a long-term solution
to solitude
which one who loves 
fiercely
eventually learns
is the long-term solution 
to 
two 
(many) wrongs
not making a right 

REQUIEM FOR THE LAST NORMAL MAN

Imaginary Garden With Real Toads--d'Verse Poets Pub

1.

I've taken to writing my grocery lists
on the backs of my business cards
(I make better use of them that way)
and if I should happen to forget
and hand one out
at least the recipient knows the answer 
to the age-old question of
What's for dinner?

And how one longs for the days when
the man in aisle 5 talking to himself
was just your garden variety crazy
person and not some pussy-whipped
hubby taking orders from headquarters or
some Russian spy 
reporting to the White House

2.

The highest office 
for sale
to the lowest bidder 
while Joe Six-Pack grows so 
pious
worshiping flags
he's lost sight of the 
Grand Poobah
who transcends all this tribalism 

but even God knows
He's less sacred than
profane

3.

We gather by the river...

we're not praying
we're just wading in
and peeing 


4.

There's another kind of pollution
it is of the mind
it's seeped into the water supply
it's in the drinking water
it makes you paranoid 
to the point of nothing and
no one can be trusted
not even your own 

mom
you strongly suspect she's a
crisis actor on her days off
from the waffle house

the next stop for you is 
The Walking Dead


5.

I will admit it's getting
harder to identify
the good guys
it used to be so easy
they were the ones with
the white hats

6.

There's a deranged man
who shambles down my street
in the mornings
muttering
Take that shit to Valhalla!
while tugging on his crotch 

I feel that he's in contact
with unseen spirits
who know exactly what he's
talking about
but as for me
I wrack my brain daily
sifting through possible meanings

I know one day
that same flash of illumination
will arrive for me
being fully aware
that to get there
I'll have to follow
in his footsteps 

EXHIBIT "A"

Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

And if your life starts out
Like crap
There's no need to panic
Cuz you can hit your stride
A little farther 
Down the line

I'm Exhibit A...

But if your song starts out
Like crap
Like some rap crap
That ain't got no melody
That can only find the beat
But not the beauty 
Then I'm outta here
Cuz that same ol' song and dance
Won't cut it 
Lessin' you're MJ resurrected
On a Sunday morning
Doin' the moonwalk 
On this planet badly in need of a miracle
Or Rita Hayworth in that silky black
Excuse for a dress 
Running like a watercolor in the rain 
Or even Eddie Money wailin'
If I Could Walk On Water 

Could use that miracle now
You betcha

Keepin' the spirit alive
And holdin' on 

WHEN IN ROME

Imaginary Garden With Real Toads--dVerse Poets Pub

You bloated pig
wallowing in the ooze
of your own excess
while that anthem rings
hollow
through every coliseum  
across the land
so morbidly obese
you can't even stand for it
in decent fashion anymore
that's alright
don't bother
cuz  you've already shat upon
all you once held dear
(let's start with the word integrity)
but traded for a seat at the circus
clowns to the left
jokers to the right
hope you like 
the freak show

bread and circuses
for the (m)asses