you cant feed the fire

single wide trailer feet,prodigal, where will you go now?your mother’s tears,her cigarette burnt quilt…your daddy’s hand tools pawnedfor pills and diapers.pictures piled in a box,wrapped in American nightmare…you hold your baby close,staring at a blank screen.high school hero, college dropout,deserter, small time criminal…you can still smell the sunlight,cant see past the rain.the song of Americaplayed…

three days after the fire.yesterday’s cold cup of coffee,spider webs, and bones.metal shavings,and empty boxes.bullets on the shelf.the broken edge of the cup,blood on the tip of the tongue.dust, and brown leaves,the first winter freeze.sleeping alone…tastes like death!

you first have to knowthat they’re there.you have to feel themcutting into your flesh.you have to feel,and to name,the weight of oppression.a bird that’s never knownlife outside the cage,has no idea what freedom is!a man whose feetare buried in the ground,can never touch the sky!

FlappingIn a limitless sky.The peel of thunderBefore it rains.The sharp intake of breath,That hurts….Tin tearing at my lips.The grunt of the rose,In bloom!

a radio i forget to turn on,and an alarm clock that i hate…dirty clothes sorted and stackedlike dreams that didnt go well.a pack of Marlboro’s, a couple old hats…a window that leaks an icy breeze…my old guitar and a rifle in the corner,a few prayers that never got said.your pillow haunted and cold…i dont want…

put my last ten dollars in gas….and didnt make it home.almost had the damned thingpaid for… almost, walking…this boat has too many leaks….pay the rent, cut off the lights;pay the lights, cut off the phone….pay the phone, run out of food….everytime i plug one leak,three more pop up.working too much for too little,feeding the machine…