an old man once said to me:

being taken back to the lie…that, waving flags, kills babiesnot yet born to motherswithout faces or names…subdue and enslavein the name of holy freedom…only held by thosenot of color….marching to the M16 beatof tyranny driven by oil….no flags burning?perhaps they should…wrapped on the bodiesof souls stolen by the lie!

and keep entering,in a thousand different ways,and myriad forms.we are no more than this,this coming and going….i dont know whetherto tip my hat,or leave my shoes at the door.the taste on your lips,that you cannot name,is me, and nothing more!

religious or sexual preference,then i will abide by your laws!when freedom is as real in the alleys,the dumpsters, and on the streetsas it is in your brick houses,then i will believe in your freedom.when all men and women,of all colors and ages,are treated with equal dignityand with respect,then i will stand for your equality.when each…

shaken with solitude,swallowed up by the womb.hands that built fires,gnarled, clench and unclench.the old clay potfilled with silent dirt.coats hung on the hook,boots that dont travel.telephone lines cut,the ink fades on the page.thump! thump! thump!old hearts still pound.and the darkness is stickywith the memory of fire!

to the young aide taking care ofthe dying old man, why therecould be no god….when he finished, the young aidelooked up and said,‘let me show you mine! ‘and with that he cleaned theold man’s ass, pulled the bedpan out,and carried it from the room!

He sent me His last breath,smelling of bourbon and good cigars.i went into the holy of holies,and found a dirty little boy playing…he told me he saw angels in the clouds,i told him they were bringing rain.and off we walked together,stopping to marvel at the trail of the ants…needing nothing more, and nothing less,than to…